Diet & Nutrition, Vitamin A

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Diet & Nutrition

Vitamin A

Among other functions, your body uses vitamin A to produce rhodopsin, the pigment that helps you to see in the dark.

What it does for you

Your body needs vitamin A to produce rhodopsin, the pigment that helps you to see in the dark.

You can get Vitamin A by eating three grams of grilled calf’s liver or eight eggs a day! It’s also in egg yolk, bright yellow, red and green vegetables, oysters, dairy products and fatty fish such as herring, anchovy and mackerel.

How much is too much

Exceeding 25 000 IUs a day for three months can cause liver and skin damage. In children, taking more than 5 000 IUs or 1,5 mg a day can also be dangerous.

Complete guide to vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is derived from two sources: preformed retinoids and provitamin carotenoids.

What it is

Vitamin A was the first so-called "fat-soluble" vitamin to be recognised in 1913. This vitamin is also known as retinol (also called retinal or retinoic acid), a word much favoured by manufacturers of skin preparations that aim to retard the ageing process.

How much you need

The current RDA/adequate intake for vitamin A is 900 microgram per day for male adults, 700 microgram per day for female adults, and 1 300 microgram for breastfeeding women.

Signs of deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in the developing world. One of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency is impaired vision that manifests itself as night blindness.

New research

Cystic fibrosis sufferers seem to benefit from taking vitamin A. It’s also been shown to help reduce the risk of measles in children. It appears that vitamin A can help reduce the risk of developing cancer, respiratory problems in children and glaucoma.