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Vitamin A Intake Estimator

Vitamin A comes from preformed retinol and provitamin A carotenoids. Enter your daily intake to see total RAE and percentage of your RDA.

Enter Daily Intake

Vitamin A Intake Summary

Total vitamin A

1525 μg RAE

Percent of recommended

217.9%

Contribution breakdown (μg RAE)

  • Retinol: 500
  • Beta-carotene (dietary): 250
  • Beta-carotene (supplement): 750
  • Other carotenoids: 25

RDA for women aged 30 is 700 μg RAE.

How to Use This Calculator

1

Identify vitamin A sources

Retinol comes from animal products (liver, dairy, eggs). Beta-carotene and other carotenoids come from orange and dark-green vegetables.

2

Convert supplements to μg

Many supplements list IU. Convert using: 1 IU retinol = 0.3 μg RAE, 1 IU beta-carotene = 0.15 μg RAE.

3

Avoid excessive intake

Upper tolerable limit for adults is 3,000 μg RAE. Chronic excess can cause toxicity—monitor supplement use carefully.

Formula

Total RAE = Retinol + (Dietary β-carotene ÷ 12) + (Supplemental β-carotene ÷ 2) + (Other provitamin A ÷ 24)

Percent of RDA = (Total RAE ÷ Recommended RAE) × 100

  • Conversions follow Institute of Medicine guidelines for vitamin A activity.
  • “Other provitamin A” includes alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin.
  • Upper tolerable limit for adults is 3,000 μg RAE (retinol sources). Carotenoid excess is generally non-toxic.

Full Description

Vitamin A is crucial for vision, immune defence, and epithelial health. The body converts carotenoids into active retinol at varying efficiencies depending on food matrices and genetics. By expressing intake in Retinol Activity Equivalents, you capture both animal and plant sources on a consistent scale.

Balance vitamin A intake with vitamin D and K2 for bone health. Monitor retinol supplements carefully—excessive doses can cause liver toxicity and teratogenic effects during pregnancy. Beta-carotene-rich vegetables provide a safer, self-limiting source for most individuals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert IU to μg?

For retinol: μg = IU × 0.3. For beta-carotene: μg = IU × 0.15 when taken as supplement, or ×0.05 for dietary beta-carotene.

Can I rely solely on supplements?

Whole foods provide synergistic nutrients. Supplements can fill gaps but avoid exceeding the UL (3,000 μg RAE).

Do cooking methods affect vitamin A?

Cooking can improve carotenoid absorption (e.g., cooked carrots). Pair with dietary fat to enhance uptake.

Why does pregnancy increase requirements?

Fetal development requires additional vitamin A, but avoid megadoses—prenatal vitamins supply safe amounts.