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Food Name | Vit. A | Calories | |
Beef liver, braised | 9363 | 189 | |
Beef liver, fried | 7679 | 174 | |
Liver dumpling | 6294 | 285 | |
Carrot chips, dried | 5416 | 341 | |
Liver, beef or calves, and onions | 4760 | 124 | |
Liverwurst | 4220 | 327 | |
Chicken liver, braised | 3948 | 166 | |
Chicken liver, fried | 3942 | 261 | |
Chocolate, instant, dry mix, fortified with vitamins and minerals, not reconstituted | 3929 | 389 | |
Milk, malted, dry mix, fortified, not reconstituted, chocolate | 3929 | 389 | |
Milk, malted, dry mix, fortified, not reconstituted, flavors other than chocolate | 3174 | 376 | |
Instant breakfast, powder, sweetened with low calorie sweetener, not reconstituted | 2686 | 358 | |
Chives, dried or dehydrated | 2203 | 319 | |
Liver hash | 2150 | 133 | |
|
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 |
| Chives, freeze-dried |
68300 |
| Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried |
66989 |
| Parsley, freeze-dried |
63240 |
| 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 |
| Spices, chili powder |
29650 |
| Caribou, liver, raw (Alaska Native) |
28800 |
| Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork |
27667 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |