Health Reference LibraryFoods high in vitamin A: UK portions, retinol versus beta carotene, and the liver rule
This entry is part of the Nutri Tailor Health Reference Library — cited research on supplements, nutrients and adjacent areas of health.
Summary
Two kinds of vitamin A count. Preformed vitamin A, retinol, is in liver, dairy, eggs and oily fish and counts toward the 1500 microgram daily ceiling; beta carotene in sweet potato, carrots, kale and peppers converts only as the body needs it and has no ceiling. A single portion of liver supplies more than a week of the 700 microgram reference intake for men and 600 for women, which is why the NHS says liver no more than once a week and never in pregnancy. Most UK adults get plenty; the one group who can fall short eats very little fat, which vitamin A needs in order to be absorbed.
How it works
How much you absorb matters as much as how much is on the plate. Two kinds count. Preformed vitamin A, retinol, is in liver, dairy, eggs and oily fish and counts toward the 1500 microgram daily ceiling; beta carotene in orange and green vegetables converts as the body needs it and has no ceiling. One portion of liver supplies more than a week of vitamin A, which is why the NHS says liver no more than once a week and never in pregnancy. Most UK adults are well supplied; the exception is a very low fat diet, because vitamin A needs fat to be absorbed.
Effective dose
The reference intake is 700 micrograms a day for men and 600 for women; the table gives the richest everyday sources, starting with lamb or beef liver, cooked at about 6000 micrograms or more; once a week at most, not in pregnancy for 100 g and sweet potato, baked at about 700 micrograms from beta carotene for 100 g. Portion figures in the table are approximate, from the NHS and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements food tables, and vary with variety, season and cooking; they are for planning a day, not for accounting.
Practical framework
Build the day from the table: two or three of the portions above usually reach the reference intake. If food will not close the gap, Nutri Tailor stocks [vitamin A oil drops](/products/vitamin-a-oil), made in the UK; the dose page linked below says how much. To read your own result against the UK ranges, use the free blood test result interpreter. This is a summary of published research, not personal health advice. Talk to your GP or a registered nutritional therapist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, have a diagnosed condition or are under ongoing care.
Common misconceptions
That one superfood does it: vitamin A adds up across the day from ordinary foods. That the figure on a packet is what you absorb: absorption depends on the form and the rest of the meal, as above. That a supplement is a substitute for the foods, which carry fibre, protein and other nutrients the capsule does not.
Forms compared
| Food | UK Portion | Vitamin A Per Portion |
|---|---|---|
Sources
- NHS (UK government). Vitamin A (NHS adult guidance). NHS UK (UK government).
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin A Health Professional Fact Sheet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (US government).