Vitamin A
Supports vision, immune defenses, and healthy growth.
Why it matters
Vitamin A helps your eyes adapt to low light and supports immune function, reproduction, and normal growth and development. It also helps the heart, lungs, and other organs work the way they should.
- Helps maintain vision, especially in dim light.
- Supports immune defenses and healthy skin and tissues.
- Plays a role in growth, development, and reproduction.
If intake is too low
True vitamin A deficiency is uncommon in the United States, but low intake can still matter. Early deficiency can show up as night blindness, and more serious deficiency can damage the eyes and weaken immune defenses.
- Trouble seeing in low light or at night.
- Dry, damaged eyes that can progress if deficiency is severe.
- Higher risk of infections when deficiency is prolonged.
If intake is too high
Too much preformed vitamin A from supplements can be toxic. High intakes can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, liver injury, and other symptoms, and excess intake during pregnancy can raise the risk of birth defects.
- Headache, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision.
- Liver damage and bone-related problems with chronic excess.
- Pregnancy-specific concern: excess preformed vitamin A can harm fetal development.
Adult upper limit: 3,000 mcg RAE/day
This limit applies to preformed vitamin A from retinol and related forms. It does not apply to beta-carotene from foods, but beta-carotene supplements are not a good choice for smokers.
Common food sources
Preformed vitamin A comes mostly from animal foods, while provitamin A carotenoids come from orange and dark-green produce.
- Liver and fish liver oils
- Eggs and dairy products
- Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, and kale
Who may need closer attention
Low intake is more likely when fat absorption is impaired or carotenoid-rich produce and animal foods stay limited for long stretches.
- People with fat-malabsorption disorders or pancreatic insufficiency
- Premature infants
- Anyone with a very limited diet low in both animal foods and colorful produce
Use extra caution if
Small details change the risk picture with nutrients more than most people expect.
You are pregnant, use high-dose retinol supplements, or smoke. Beta-carotene supplements have also been linked with higher lung cancer risk in smokers.
Supplement and label notes
Useful context when this nutrient shows up across more than one product.
- Labels may use retinol, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, or beta-carotene.
- Stacking a multivitamin with cod liver oil or a separate A supplement can push preformed vitamin A high quickly.
- Pregnancy is the clearest reason to avoid casual high-dose vitamin A use.
Daily Value targets in SuppMap
These are the same label-style Daily Value targets used in the app.
Official references
These pages were used to draft the summaries on this guide.
Educational only. These pages are not a diagnosis or a substitute for personal medical care.
More guides
Keep moving through the rest of the Daily Value chart from here.
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Vitamin D
Helps your body absorb calcium and supports bone and muscle health.