Vitamin A Foods: List of the Best Sources

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body needs for many fundamental functions. It is best known in connection with the eyes and vision. But where is it actually found? The answer is twofold: animal foods provide genuine vitamin A, while plant foods contain so-called provitamins such as beta-carotene, which the body first has to convert. In this guide you will find a clear list of the best vitamin A sources with values, learn your daily requirement and discover how to take up the vitamin optimally.

Why vitamin A is important

Vitamin A performs several tasks in the body. According to the approved EU claims, vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes. In addition, vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system, contributes to normal iron metabolism and has a role in the process of cell specialisation.

As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin A can be stored in the body – above all in the liver. A precise daily intake is therefore less crucial than with water-soluble vitamins; over the course of a week, however, the balance should be right.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene: the difference

There are two forms to distinguish. Retinol is the ready-made vitamin A and occurs exclusively in animal foods. Beta-carotene – also called provitamin A – is found in plant foods and is converted into vitamin A in the body as needed. This conversion is regulated, which is why plant sources practically never lead to an oversupply. In nutritional labelling, the content is often given in retinol activity equivalents (RAE) in order to make both forms comparable.

The best vitamin A sources (animal)

The following values are guideline figures for retinol per 100 grams and can vary depending on origin:

• Beef liver: approx. 15,000 µg – a top value, which is why liver should be eaten only in moderation
• Cod liver oil: approx. 18,000 µg
• Butter: approx. 650 µg
• Egg yolk: approx. 500 µg
• Cheese (e.g. Emmental): approx. 270 µg
• Whole milk: approx. 30 µg

Liver is by far the richest source. For precisely this reason, pregnant women are advised to avoid large amounts of liver, since very high retinol intakes can be problematic in early pregnancy.

The best beta-carotene sources (plant)

Plant foods provide beta-carotene. Guideline figures per 100 grams:

• Carrots: approx. 1,500 µg RAE
• Sweet potato: approx. 1,000 µg RAE
• Kale: approx. 800 µg RAE
• Spinach: approx. 800 µg RAE
• Lamb's lettuce: approx. 650 µg RAE
• Pumpkin: approx. 400 µg RAE
• Apricot: approx. 270 µg RAE
• Red bell pepper: approx. 250 µg RAE
• Mango: approx. 200 µg RAE

The typically orange-red or deep green colour often already reveals the high carotene content. Carrots are the prime example and cover the daily requirement mathematically with just a small portion.

How high is the daily requirement?

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) states the reference value in retinol activity equivalents. For adult women it is around 700 µg RAE, for men around 850 µg RAE per day. During pregnancy and breastfeeding the requirement is increased. With a balanced diet that regularly includes vegetables such as carrots or kale as well as animal foods such as butter, egg or cheese, this requirement can usually be met well.

A calculation example illustrates this: even a medium-sized carrot or a small portion of sweet potato mathematically provides a considerable part of the daily requirement of vitamin A activity. If you combine this over the course of the day with a little butter on bread, an egg or some cheese, the supply is usually covered effortlessly. An actual deficiency therefore arises almost only with a very one-sided diet over a longer period.

Taking up vitamin A properly

Because vitamin A and beta-carotene are fat-soluble, a little fat in the meal improves absorption significantly. A few practical tips:

• Combine carrots with some oil, butter or a dollop of cream – grated raw with a dressing or briefly steamed.
• Lightly heating and chopping vegetables makes the beta-carotene more available to the body, as the cell structures are broken down.
• Prepare green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale with a high-quality oil.

A pure, fat-free raw carrot salad therefore provides less available vitamin A than the same amount with an oil dressing.

Vitamin A in different stages of life

The requirement for vitamin A varies with age and life situation. Children and adolescents have a requirement adapted to growth depending on their stage of development, while pregnant and breastfeeding women need considerably more. In pregnancy in particular, vitamin A is a double-edged topic: on the one hand an adequate supply is important, on the other hand very high retinol intakes – for example through large amounts of liver or high-dose supplements – should be avoided especially in early pregnancy. With plant-based beta-carotene from vegetables this risk does not exist, since the body regulates the conversion. Anyone who is pregnant or wishes to become pregnant is best advised to clarify their vitamin A supply with a doctor.

Vitamin A, lutein and the eyes

Vitamin A is often associated with vision, and indeed, according to the approved EU claims, it contributes to the maintenance of normal vision. In the retina, vitamin A is involved in the light-sensitive processes. Vitamin A is frequently mentioned in connection with further plant compounds, such as the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which occur in green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach. Unlike beta-carotene, the body does not convert these two into vitamin A. A varied diet with plenty of colourful vegetables provides a little of both and is thus the simplest basis for a good nutrient supply around the eyes.

Common mistakes in the vitamin A supply

In practice there are a few typical stumbling blocks. Anyone who consistently prepares vegetables without fat gives away part of the fat-soluble vitamin. Anyone who eats carrots and the like only raw and unchopped makes absorption harder for the body, because the beta-carotene remains locked in the cell structures. And anyone who eats very one-sidedly and includes neither animal sources nor orange-red or deep green vegetables can be undersupplied in the long term. Conversely, the supply is easy to improve: a little fat with the meal, light heating and chopping, and a colourful selection of vegetables are usually enough.

When supplementation can be useful

A genuine vitamin A deficiency is rare in Germany with a balanced diet. Since the body stores vitamin A and converts beta-carotene as needed, the supply is usually stable. In special situations – for example with a very one-sided diet, certain digestive disorders or a very low-fat diet – absorption can, however, be limited.

With vitamin A, caution is also advised with high-dose supplements, because it is fat-soluble and can accumulate in the body. Whether and in what form supplementation is useful for you should therefore be discussed with your doctor – this applies especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. With plant-based beta-carotene from foods, this risk of an oversupply does not exist.

Suitable products

For the eyes there are combination products that bundle various micronutrients. The Eye Vitamins from Scheunengut, for example, contain not only plant compounds such as lutein and zeaxanthin but also vitamin A and B vitamins. In them, vitamin A contributes, according to the approved EU claims, to the maintenance of normal vision. Whether such a product suits you depends on your individual situation and diet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which food has the most vitamin A?

The richest source is liver, especially beef liver and cod liver oil, with very high retinol values. Because of these high contents, however, liver should be eaten only in moderation. Among plant sources, carrots and sweet potatoes lead.

Is beta-carotene the same as vitamin A?

Not quite. Beta-carotene is a precursor, the so-called provitamin A. The body converts it into vitamin A as needed. Ready-made vitamin A (retinol), by contrast, occurs only in animal foods.

Can you take up too much vitamin A?

Through plant-based beta-carotene practically not, since the conversion is regulated. Through high-dose supplements or very large amounts of liver, however, fat-soluble vitamin A can accumulate. Pregnant women should avoid liver and high-dose supplements.

How do I best take up vitamin A?

Since vitamin A and beta-carotene are fat-soluble, a little fat in the meal improves absorption. Combining carrots or green leafy vegetables with oil, butter or cream and heating them lightly increases availability.

How much vitamin A do I need per day?

The DGE gives as a reference value around 700 µg RAE for women and 850 µg RAE for men per day. With vegetables such as carrots as well as animal foods such as butter, egg and cheese, this requirement is easy to meet.