Get More Vitamin A

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Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for health: we get carotenoids and beta carotene from plants, and retinol from meat. Because it's fat-soluble, it is important to not overdo the amount of vitamin A you ingest, as excess vitamin A stockpiles in the body and can interfere with vitamin D and bone health (especially the retinol form of vitamin A).[1][2] Learning which foods contain vitamin A can help you ensure that you're getting the right amount of this crucial vitamin.

Steps

Diagnosing a Vitamin A Deficiency

  1. Learn about the role of vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions and processes: it helps maintain healthy skin, ensures better night vision, promotes strong teeth and bone formation, keeps tissue and mucous membranes working properly (to prevent infections), and is also needed for digestive health, respiratory functions, reproduction and breastfeeding.[3][4]
  2. Recognize the symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency. The most common symptom of late-term vitamin A deficiency is night blindness, or xerophthalmia: difficulty or inability to see at night.[5] Patients with vitamin A deficiencies may also experience ulcerations of the cornea and keratomalacia, the desiccation and "clouding" of the cornea.[6]
    • Ulcerations of the cornea are open sores that form in the outer layer of the tissue at the front of your eye.[7]
    • Clouding of the cornea is a loss of visibility through the front of the eye. This part of the eye is normally clear, and clouding can make objects in your sight of vision blurry or completely unobservable.[8]
    • Night blindness first manifests itself through oval- or triangle-shaped patches in the temporal portion of the eyes - that is, the region closest to the outsides of the human face. It is usually present in both eyes and may be accompanied by Bitot's spots (a "foamy" buildup of keratin).[9]
    • Night blindness may also manifest as "starburst" effects when you look at bright lights in a dark environment.[10]
    • Other symptoms of mild/early-onset deficiency may include chronically dry or "un-wettable" eyes, with rough or "bubbled" surface features on the eye, though these symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose a vitamin deficiency.
    • Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an infection, but it is important to see a doctor to help you change your diet and add supplements as needed.[11]
  3. Have your blood tested. If you're concerned about your vitamin A levels, you can ask your doctor to perform a simple retinol blood test to determine whether you have a vitamin A deficiency. The normal range of vitamin A in the blood for healthy individuals is between 50-200 micrograms per deciliter of blood.[12]
    • You will likely need to refrain from eating or drinking anything up to 24 hours before the test. Check with your doctor for the requirements.[13]
    • If you are found to be deficient, your doctor may advise you to take a vitamin A supplement (unless you are pregnant), or may refer you to a nutritionist who can help you make better dietary choices.
  4. Have your child tested. Children are most likely to be affected by vitamin A deficiency, and may also show signs of slowed growth and increased susceptibility to infection.[14]
    • Children may develop deficiencies from not getting enough vitamin A through milk, or from losing excessive amounts of vitamin A through chronic diarrhea.[15]
  5. Take precautions if you're pregnant. Vitamin A deficiencies can happen to expecting mothers during the third trimester, as this portion of the pregnancy puts the highest demand on nutrients and vitamins in both mother and fetus.[16]
    • See warnings below––pregnant women should not take synthetic vitamin A supplements unless instructed by a doctor, as high doses of vitamin A can lead to fetal damage.

Eating Vitamin-rich Foods

  1. Eat a variety of vegetables. Vegetables are an important source of vitamin A by providing you with carotenoids like beta-carotene. Most orange/yellow/red vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and pumpkin, contain vitamin A. Dark green veggies like kale, spinach, and lettuce are also wonderful sources of vitamin A.[17]
  2. Eat fruit. Some fruits, such as mangoes, apricots and cantaloupe, have high levels of vitamin A.[18]
    • One whole mango has about 672 micrograms per serving, or about 45% of the daily recommended intake.[19]
    • Dried apricots are an excellent source of vitamin A: one cup yields 764 micrograms of vitamin A. Canned apricots are slightly lower in vitamin A, measuring 338 micrograms per cup.[20]
    • Raw cantaloupe is another good source of vitamin A, with one cup of raw melon yielding 286 micrograms.[21]
    • Some medical experts recommend pregnant women should increase their plant-based vitamin A intake by 40% overall during pregnancy and by 90% overall during breastfeeding.[22]
  3. Add animal food sources to your diet. Foods of animal origin provide the "retinol" form of vitamin A, which is what your body transforms carotenoids (plant-based vitamin A) into once you've digested them.[23] Retinol-rich foods include liver, eggs, and fatty fish.[24]
    • Because it is absorbed quickly and excreted very slowly, retinol is the form of vitamin A that can be overdosed on, so sourcing vitamin A from such foods needs to be done with care. Look for nausea or vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, and excessive fatigue as signs of acute toxicity.[25]
    • Acute vitamin A toxicity is relatively rare. Chronic toxicity, which is accrued over time, is somewhat more common. Still, an average adult would need to ingest more than 7,500 micrograms (7.5 milligrams) every day for over six years to reach toxic levels, but there is a wide range of variability from person to person. It's best to be cautious and not overdo it on retinol.[26]
    • Retinol levels may also be affected if you use vitamin A skin products, such as creams or acne medications.
  4. Add dairy to your diet. Milk, yogurt, and cheese can also provide you with vitamin A.[27]
    • One cup of milk provides between 10-14% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.[28] One ounce of cheese typically provides between 1-6% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A.[29]
  5. Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist. A trusted healthcare professional can guide you in determining what foods would fit best in your diet.
    • Your doctor may have a specific dietitian/nutritionist to recommend to you. If not, you can find one by contacting your local hospital or other general practitioner's medical offices and asking for recommendations, or searching online.[30]
    • If you live in the U.S., you can find a registered dietitian/nutritionist by searching at Eatright.org, the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.[31]

Taking Vitamin A Supplements

  1. Know the recommended limits for children. Supplements come in different doses, and it's important to know the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for all supplements you take.
    • For infants up to 6 months old, the RDA for vitamin A is 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams).
    • For infants 7-12 months old, the RDA for vitamin A is 500 micrograms (0.5 milligrams).
    • For children 1-3 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 300 micrograms (0.3 milligrams).
    • For children 4-8 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams).
    • For children 9-13 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 600 micrograms (0.6 milligrams).
    • For children 14-18 years old, the RDA 700 micrograms (0.7 milligrams) for girls and 900 micrograms (0.9 milligrams) for boys.[32]
  2. Know the recommended limits for adults. Adults will need more vitamin A than children, and as with all supplements you take, it's important to know the recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
    • For men 19 years old and up, the RDA for vitamin A is 900 micrograms (0.9 milligrams).
    • For women 19 years old and up, the RDA for vitamin A is 700 micrograms (0.7 milligrams).
    • For pregnant women 18 years old or younger, the RDA for vitamin A is 750 micrograms (0.75 milligrams).
    • For pregnant women 19 years old and up, the RDA for vitamin A is 770 micrograms (0.77 milligrams).
    • For breastfeeding women 18 years old or younger, the RDA for vitamin A is 1,200 micrograms (1.2 milligrams).
    • For breastfeeding women 19 years old and up, the RDA for vitamin A is 1,300 micrograms (1.3 milligrams).[33]
  3. Do not exceed the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. Ingesting too much vitamin A can cause a host of health problems.
    • Infants less than one year old should not exceed 600 micrograms (0.6 milligrams) of vitamin A.
    • Children 1-3 years old should not exceed 600 micrograms (0.6 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.
    • Children 4-8 years old should not exceed 900 micrograms (0.9 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.
    • Children 9-13 years old should not exceed 1,700 micrograms (1.7 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.
    • Children 14-18 years old should not exceed 2,800 micrograms (2.8 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.
    • Adults 19 years and up should not exceed 3,000 micrograms (3 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.[34]

Tips

  • If you consume too much beta-carotene your skin may tint orange. This is a harmless reaction, most often seen in children and in vegetarians. If this happens, leave off those veggies for a few days to return back to normal.[35]
  • Consult a doctor or nutritionist before altering your diet or taking any vitamin supplements.

Warnings

  • If you are taking a vitamin supplement, read the label. Make sure that it doesn't go over 10,000 IU's, which, luckily, is unlikely. But it's better to be safe than sorry.
  • Never change your diet without checking with your doctor first. She'll tell you what vitamins you need, if any.
  • Too much Vitamin A can cause loss of appetite, dizziness, headaches, dry and itchy skin, hair loss, blurred vision and reduced bone mineral density. In severe cases, liver damage can occur with Vitamin A overdose. In the case of a fetus, too much vitamin A can cause severe birth defects; pregnant women should not exceed 5,000 IU daily of supplemental vitamin A. In fact, it's recommended that pregnant women avoid vitamin A supplements altogether.[36]

Video

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp
  2. ↑ http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-a/
  3. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002400.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/misc_topics/vitamina.html
  5. ↑ http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/10/1835.long
  6. ↑ https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/eye-disorders/corneal-disorders/keratomalacia
  7. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001032.htm
  8. ↑ http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/cloudy-cornea
  9. ↑ http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/vad_consequences.pdf
  10. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8019121
  11. ↑ https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/eye-disorders/corneal-disorders/keratomalacia
  12. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003570.htm
  13. ↑ https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003570.htm
  14. ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/vitamin-deficiency-dependency-and-toxicity/vitamin-a
  15. ↑ http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/#h5
  16. ↑ http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/
  17. ↑ http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/misc_topics/vitamina.html
  18. ↑ http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-A.aspx
  19. ↑ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/#h2
  20. ↑ http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-A.aspx
  21. ↑ http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-A.aspx
  22. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17665093
  23. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3530430
  24. ↑ http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/bone_health/nutrition/vitamin_a.asp
  25. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-a/safety/hrb-20060201
  26. ↑ http://www.nutri-facts.org/eng/vitamins/vitamin-a-retinol/safety/
  27. ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-A.aspx
  28. ↑ http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-Dairy/Nutrients-in-Milk-Cheese-Yogurt/Nutrients-in-Milk.aspx
  29. ↑ http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-Dairy/Nutrients-in-Milk-Cheese-Yogurt/Nutrients-in-Cheese.aspx
  30. ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/find-a-registered-dietitian-or-nutritionist.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=168
  31. ↑ http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert
  32. ↑ http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-a-retinol
  33. ↑ http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-a-retinol
  34. ↑ http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
  35. ↑ http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1104368-overview
  36. ↑ http://www.who.int/elena/titles/vitamina_pregnancy/en/
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