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Usage Notes

• Vitamin A (measured in micrograms) and calories are calculated per 100g of food.
• This vitamin A content of foods database contains approximately 7,000 most common food items.
• Click on column header to sort foods by name or by vitamin A or calories.
• Pie chart shows relative contributions to total calories from carbohydrate, protein and fat (and alcohol, if exists).

Vitamin A in Diet

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. It may also be needed for reproduction and breast-feeding.
Retinol is an active form of vitamin A. It is found in animal liver, whole milk, and some fortified foods.
Carotenoids are dark-colored dyes (pigments) found in plant foods that can turn into a form of vitamin A. There are more than 500 known carotenoids. One such carotenoid is beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals are believed to contribute to certain chronic diseases and play a role in the aging processes. Food sources of carotenoids such as beta-carotene may reduce the risk for cancer. Beta-carotene supplements do not seem to reduce cancer risk.

Vitamin A Food Sources

Vitamin A comes from animal sources, such as eggs, meat, fortified milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, cod, and halibut fish oil. However, all of these sources -- except for skim milk that has been fortified with Vitamin A -- are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Sources of beta-carotene include: Bright yellow and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, and apricots Vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and winter squash Other sources of beta-carotene include broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables.
The more intense the color of a fruit or vegetable, the higher the beta-carotene content. Vegetable sources of beta-carotene are fat- and cholesterol-free.
See also: Our updated Retinol Content of Foods online database.

Side Effects of Vitamin A

If you don't get enough vitamin A, you are more likely to get infectious diseases and vision problems.
If you get too much vitamin A, you can become sick. Large doses of vitamin A can also cause birth defects.
Acute vitamin A poisoning usually occurs when an adult takes several hundred thousand IUs of vitamin A. Symptoms of chronic vitamin A poisoning may occur in adults who regularly take more than 25,000 IU a day. Babies and children are more sensitive to vitamin A, and can become sick after taking smaller doses of vitamin A or vitamin A-containing products such as retinol (found in skin creams).

Recommendations

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, fortified dairy foods, legumes (dried beans), lentils, and whole grains.

Vitamin A-Rich Foods

The top 100 foods rich in vitamin A.

Foods Highest in Vitamin A

Vitamin A in IU

Fish oil, cod liver

100000

Moose, liver, braised (Alaska Native)

96000

Walrus, liver, raw (Alaska Native)

81200

Peppers, sweet, red, freeze-dried

77261

Turkey, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered

75333

Turkey, liver, all classes, raw

72382

Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised

70564

Carrot, dehydrated

68466

Chives, freeze-dried

68300

Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried

66989

Parsley, freeze-dried

63240

Spices, paprika

49254

Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

41610

Duck, domesticated, liver, raw

39907

Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw

39056

Seal, ringed, liver (Alaska Native)

36600

Turkey, all classes, giblets, cooked, simmered, some giblet fat

35790

Peppers, pasilla, dried

35760

Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised

31714

Goose, liver, raw

30998

Spices, chili powder

29650

Caribou, liver, raw (Alaska Native)

28800

Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork

27667

Grape leaves, raw

27521

Peppers, hot chile, sun-dried

26488

Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried

26088

Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried

25998

Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised

24945

Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw

24612

Foods Highest in Vitamin A

Vitamin A in IU

OSCAR MAYER, Liver Cheese, pork fat wrapped

23778

Snacks, sweet potato chips, unsalted

23675

Whale, beluga, liver, raw (Alaska Native)

22100

Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw

21650

Sweet potato, frozen, cooked, baked, without salt

20870

Peppers, ancho, dried

20438

Orange-flavor drink, breakfast type, low calorie, powder

20000

Fruit-flavored drink, dry powder, low calorie, with high vitamin C

20000

Fruit-flavored drink, powder, with high vitamin C with other added vitamins, low calorie

20000

Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, with salt

19218

Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt

19218

Carrot juice, canned

19124

Willow, young leaves, chopped (Alaska Native)

18700

Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised

17997

Liver cheese, pork

17490

Tomato powder

17247

Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

17033

Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

17033

Carrots, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

16928

Carrots, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

16928

Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw

16898

Carrots, raw

16706

OSCAR MAYER, Braunschweiger Liver Sausage (saren tube)

16670

Sweet potato, frozen, cooked, baked, with salt

16410

Broccoli, leaves, raw

16000

Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin, with salt

15740

Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin

15740

OSCAR MAYER, Braunschweiger Liver Sausage (sliced)

15728

Pumpkin, canned, without salt

15563

Pumpkin, canned, with salt

15563

Kale, raw

15376

Foods High in Vitamin A

Vitamin A in IU

Pate, truffle flavor

15000

Babyfood, carrots, toddler

14710

Kale, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

14704

Kale, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

14704

Chicken, capons, giblets, raw

14566

Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

14544

Babyfood, carrots and beef, strained

14452

Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried

14378

Carrots, frozen, unprepared

14210

Sweet potato, raw, unprepared

14187

Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), pork

14051

Carrots, baby, raw

13790

Liverwurst spread

13636

Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

13621

Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

13621

Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered

13328

Chicken, capons, giblets, cooked, simmered

13266

Malted drink mix, chocolate, with added nutrients, powder

13098

Apricots, dehydrated (low-moisture), sulfured, uncooked

12669

Carrots, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids

12264

Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

12061

Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

12061

Soup, cream of vegetable, dry, powder

11996

Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, fried

11929

Sourdock, young leaves (Alaska Native)

11900

Peppers, hot chili, red, canned, excluding seeds, solids and liquids

11892

Babyfood, vegetables, carrots, junior

11810

Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, unprepared

11726

Vegetables, mixed, canned, drained solids

11651

Vegetables, mixed (corn, lima beans, peas, green beans, carrots) canned, no salt added

11651

Lambsquarters, raw

11600

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