How to Get More Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for health: we get carotenoids and beta carotene from plants, and retinol from meat. Because it's fat-soluble, it is important to not overdo the amount of vitamin A you ingest, as excess vitamin A stockpiles in the body and can interfere with vitamin D and bone health (especially the retinol form of vitamin A). Learning which foods contain vitamin A can help you ensure that you're getting the right amount of this crucial vitamin.

Eat a variety of vegetables. Vegetables are an important source of vitamin A by providing you with carotenoids like beta-carotene. Most orange/yellow/red vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and pumpkin, contain vitamin A. Dark green veggies like kale, spinach, and lettuce are also wonderful sources of vitamin A.

Eat fruit. Some fruits, such as mangoes, apricots and cantaloupe, have high levels of vitamin A.

·         One whole mango has about 672 micrograms per serving, or about 45% of the daily recommended intake.

·         Dried apricots are an excellent source of vitamin A: one cup yields 764 micrograms of vitamin A. Canned apricots are slightly lower in vitamin A, measuring 338 micrograms per cup.

·         Raw cantaloupe is another good source of vitamin A, with one cup of raw melon yielding 286 micrograms.

·         Some medical experts recommend pregnant women should increase their plant-based vitamin A intake by 40% overall during pregnancy and by 90% overall during breastfeeding.

Add animal food sources to your diet. Foods of animal origin provide the "retinol" form of vitamin A, which is what your body transforms carotenoids (plant-based vitamin A) into once you've digested them. Retinol-rich foods include liver, eggs, and fatty fish.

·         Because it is absorbed quickly and excreted very slowly, retinol is the form of vitamin A that can be overdosed on, so sourcing vitamin A from such foods needs to be done with care. Look for nausea or vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, and excessive fatigue as signs of acute toxicity.

·         Acute vitamin A toxicity is relatively rare. Chronic toxicity, which is accrued over time, is somewhat more common. Still, an average adult would need to ingest more than 7,500 micrograms (7.5 milligrams) every day for over six years to reach toxic levels, but there is a wide range of variability from person to person. It's best to be cautious and not overdo it on retinol.

·         Retinol levels may also be affected if you use vitamin A skin products, such as creams or acne medications.

Add dairy to your diet. Milk, yogurt, and cheese can also provide you with vitamin A.

·         One cup of milk provides between 10-14% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A. One ounce of cheese typically provides between 1-6% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A.

Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist. A trusted healthcare professional can guide you in determining what foods would fit best in your diet.

·         Your doctor may have a specific dietitian/nutritionist to recommend to you. If not, you can find one by contacting your local hospital or other general practitioner's medical offices and asking for recommendations, or searching online.

·         If you live in the U.S., you can find a registered dietitian/nutritionist by searching at Eatright.org, the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.