Vitamin A Daily Intake Calculator
Calculate your recommended daily Vitamin A intake based on age, sex, and life stage.
Check if you meet the RDA and avoid toxicity.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immune function, and cell growth. The body uses two forms: preformed Vitamin A (retinol, found in animal products) and provitamin A carotenoids (like beta-carotene, found in plants). Both are measured in micrograms of Retinol Activity Equivalents (mcg RAE).
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) by age and sex:
| Group | RDA (mcg RAE/day) | Tolerable Upper Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0–6 months | 400 | 600 |
| Infants 7–12 months | 500 | 600 |
| Children 1–3 years | 300 | 600 |
| Children 4–8 years | 400 | 900 |
| Boys 9–13 years | 600 | 1,700 |
| Girls 9–13 years | 600 | 1,700 |
| Teen boys 14–18 | 900 | 2,800 |
| Teen girls 14–18 | 700 | 2,800 |
| Men 19+ | 900 | 3,000 |
| Women 19+ | 700 | 3,000 |
| Pregnant (under 19) | 750 | 2,800 |
| Pregnant (19+) | 770 | 3,000 |
| Breastfeeding (under 19) | 1,200 | 2,800 |
| Breastfeeding (19+) | 1,300 | 3,000 |
Why Vitamin A matters:
- Night vision and low-light adaptation
- Maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes
- Supporting immune system response
- Fetal development during pregnancy
Deficiency symptoms include night blindness, dry eyes, and increased susceptibility to infections. Deficiency is rare in developed countries but common globally.
Toxicity warning: Because Vitamin A is fat-soluble, it accumulates in the body. Consuming more than the Upper Tolerable Limit (especially from supplements or liver) can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in severe cases liver damage. Beta-carotene from vegetables does NOT cause toxicity — excess is simply not absorbed.
Practical example: A 35-year-old woman needs 700 mcg RAE/day. One medium sweet potato provides about 960 mcg RAE — more than the full daily requirement in a single serving.
Conversion note: Older labels used International Units (IU). 1 mcg RAE = 3.33 IU of retinol, or about 12 IU of beta-carotene from food.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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