Nutrient Information: Vitamin A, RAE

Nutrient Key Information
Nutrient Name:	Vitamin A, RAE
Nutrient Category:	Vitamins and Other Components
Unit Name:	µg
Nutrient Summary:	Vitamin A is important for vision, gene expression, reproduction, embryonic development, growth, and immune function.

Sample Foods High in: Vitamin A, RAE - All Food Categories - Dairy and Egg Products Vegetables and Vegetable Products Fruits and Fruit Juices Cereal Grains and Pasta Nut and Seed Products Legumes and Legume Products Spices and Herbs Breakfast Cereals Beverages Poultry Products Beef Products Pork Products Finfish and Shellfish Products Lamb, Veal, and Game Products Sausages and Luncheon Meats Fats and Oils Baked Products Sweets Snacks Soups, Sauces, and Gravies Fast Foods Restaurant Foods Additional Top Food Sources
	Food Description	Nutrient Amount1	Daily Value%2
	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised Category: Beef Products Similar foods: beef liver	9,442 µg	1,348.86%
	Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: cooked sweet potato	961 µg	137.29%
	Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: carrot	852 µg	121.71%
	Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, cooked, dry heat Category: Finfish and Shellfish Products Similar foods: cooked tuna fish	757 µg	108.14%
	Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: mustard green	618 µg	88.29%
	Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: spinach	524 µg	74.86%

Nutrient Detail Information
Nutrient Summary	Vitamin A is important for vision, gene expression, reproduction, embryonic development, growth, and immune function.
Nutrient Function	There are two main types of Vitamin A: 1) Preformed Vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters): naturally exists in meats, fish, and dairy products 2) Provitamin A carotenoids (beta-carotene): exists in vegetables, fruits, and plant-based oils Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient. Body converts them into retinal and retinoic acid, the active form of Vitamin A. Most of them are stored in liver in the form of retinyl esters for later use. RAE stands for Retinol Activity Equivalents. RAE value is used as the recommended daily value for Vitamin A. • Benefits to eye health: 1) Retinal is required by the eye to transduce light into the neural signals necessary for color vision and low-light vision. 2) Retinoic acid is required to maintain cornea and conjunctiva membranes (which covers the surface of your eye), thus preventing xerophthalmia. • Retinoic acid is the major active form of vitamin A required to regulate the expression of various genes to help growth, development, and reproduction: 1) encode for structural proteins, such as skin tissues 2) enzymes (e.g., alcohol dehydrogenase), extracellular matrix proteins (e.g., laminin), and retinol binding proteins and receptors. • Support immune function: support the creation, growth and distribution of T-cells, a type of white blood cell that protects your body from infection. • Help red blood cell formation: Vitamin A helps iron mobilization from stores, thus improves hemoglobin concentrations.
Food Sources Top Food Sources	Preformed Vitamin A (retinol) exists naturally in animal-based foods. The efficiency of preformed vitamin A absorption is higher (from 70 to 90%). The primary food sources are: • Liver • Dairy products • Fish (such as king mackerel, trout, salmon) • Eggs Dietary Provitamin A carotenoids exist in vegetables, fruits, and plant-based oils. The efficiency of Provitamin A carotenoids absorption is relatively lower (~ 9-22%). The primary food sources are: • Carrots • Squash • Fruits: Cantaloupe, apricots, and mangos. • Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and broccoli • Peas • Pumpkin • Red peppers • Sweet potatoes Foods fortified with vitamin A: • Margarine • Low-fat and nonfat milk • Fortified grains and cereals Notes: • Dietary fat may enhance the absorption of Vitamin A. Cooked carrots and spinach has greater absorption rate of Vitamin A. • Alcohol consumption may negatively affect vitamin A stores in liver.
Deficiency Health Effects	• Xerophthalmia: inability to see in low lights. This is the most specific clinical effect of vitamin A deficiency. It has various stages including night blindness, conjunctival xerosis, Bitot’s spots, corneal xerosis, corneal ulceration and scarring. • Reduced immune function: Vitamin A deficiency decreases immune function, so increases the risk of infectious morbidity and mortality, such as respiratory infection and diarrhea. • Vitamin A deficiency impairs iron mobilization from stores.
Effects if Above Upper Limit	The adverse effects of excess vitamin A are from excessive intake of Preformed Vitamin A (retinol). Preformed vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A) may be acute or chronic. Some symptoms are: • Nausea and vomiting • Headache and dizziness • Blurred vision • Muscular incoordination • Liver abnormalities (liver is the main storage of Vitamin A) • Teratogenicity: high doses of Vitamin A (≥ 7,800 mg/day) during the first trimester of pregnancy may cause infant birth defects such as teratogenicity. • High doses of vitamin A (5,500-6,750 mg/day) may cause intracranial and skeletal abnormalities for infants. High amounts of Provitamin A may turn the skin yellow-orange, but it will not cause other serious effects. Note: People with high alcohol intake, preexisting liver disease, hyperlipidemia, or severe protein malnutrition should lower the intake Upper Limit.
External References	Learn more at: • The National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine publication: Dietary Reference Intakes • NIH (National Institutes of Health) article: Vitamin A • healthline.com article: Vitamin A: Benefits, Deficiency, Toxicity and More

Daily Value Age Group	Recommended Daily Values	Daily Value Upper Limits
Toddler 1 to 3 years old:	300 µg	600 µg
Child 4 to 8 years old:	400 µg	900 µg
Male 9 to 13 years old:	600 µg	1,700 µg
Male 14 to 18 years old:	900 µg	2,800 µg
Male 19 to 30 years old:	900 µg	3,000 µg
Male 31 to 50 years old:	900 µg	3,000 µg
Male 51 to 70 years old:	900 µg	3,000 µg
Male Senior 71 or older:	900 µg	3,000 µg
Female 9 to 13 years old:	600 µg	1,700 µg
Female 14 to 18 years old:	700 µg	2,800 µg
Female 19 to 30 years old:	700 µg	3,000 µg
Female 31 to 50 years old:	700 µg	3,000 µg
Female 51 to 70 years old:	700 µg	3,000 µg
Female Senior 71 or older:	700 µg	3,000 µg
Female Pregnancy (>18):	770 µg	3,000 µg
Female Lactation (>18):	1,300 µg	3,000 µg
FDA (Based on 2000 calorie daily diet):	900 µg

	The nutrient Dietary Reference Intakes and nutrition facts is from Institute of Medicine of National Academies 2006. Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11537
	Nutrition facts knowledge are based on U.S. FOOD & DRUG Administration Nutrition Education Resources & Materials. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/interactivenutritionfactslabel/
	Nutrition facts knowledge are based on National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all
Disclaimer	The nutrient information provided here should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare providers (such as your doctor) about your dietary requirements which are best for your overall health. We also recommend you to read organization or professional reference documents or articles mentioned, but not limited to, in this page. Any mentions and reference links in this page don't represent our endorsement of their services and advice.