✓ No active regulatory warningsFDA MedWatch, EMA EudraVigilance, WHO VigiBase, WADA Prohibited List · 2026-05-29
📰Read the full Vitamin A evidence review on GMJ News →Complete clinical article, references and updates on news.gmj.ge. This page is the structured safety summary.⚠ Night blindness in a patient with malabsorption — consider serum retinol testing [2]
⚠ Preformed retinol above 10,000 IU/day in pregnancy — teratogenic risk for craniofacial and cardiac defects [5]
⚠ High-dose beta-carotene supplements (>20 mg/day) in current smokers — increased lung cancer risk (ATBC, CARET trials) [9]
⚠ Concurrent use with retinoid medications — additive toxicity leading to pseudotumor cerebri [4]
🥗 Food first — build your daily 900 mcg RAE/ 700 mcg
Check the foods you regularly eat — the bar fills toward your daily target.
Beef liver, cooked (85 g)6,582 µg RAE
Sweet potato, baked (1 medium)1,403 µg RAE
Spinach, cooked (125 mL)573 µg RAE
Carrots, raw (1 medium)509 µg RAE
Cantaloupe (130 g)270 µg RAE
Red sweet pepper (1 medium)187 µg RAE
Mango (1 whole)181 µg RAE
Egg yolk (1 large)75 µg RAE
Check your regular foods above
☑ Risk checker
Preschool children in low-income countries [3]
Pregnant and lactating women in endemic regions [3]
Fat malabsorption disorders (celiac disease, Crohn disease, cystic fibrosis) [2]
Chronic alcoholism (depletes hepatic stores) [4]
Zinc deficiency (impairs retinol-binding protein synthesis) [2]
Strict vegan diet without beta-carotene-rich foods [1]
Select factors
🔬 Lab interpreter
Recommended test
Serum retinol
Serum retinol
Reference range / target
>1.05 µmol/L (30 µg/dL)
>1.05 µmol/L (30 µg/dL)
Serum retinol is homeostatically regulated and only drops in moderate-to-severe depletion. Not a sensitive early marker [2].
Full lab monitoring ↓⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
Vitamin A deficiency remains the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness worldwide. In well-nourished populations, preformed retinol supplementation is rarely necessary and carries a real risk of teratogenicity in pregnancy. Beta-carotene from food is both safe and sufficient for most adults [2] [3].
1 How much do I need?
👤 Adults: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👴 Elderly: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🤰 Pregnancy: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👦 Pediatric: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🏃 Athletes: Standard dose
⚖️ Obesity: Standard dose
Fat-soluble compounds may require dose adjustment in obesity.
🩺 Renal: Consult specialist
Dose adjustment may be needed in renal impairment.
🌱 Vegan: Standard dose
How to take
🍽 Timing: Take with a meal containing at least 10–15 g of fat for optimal absorption [2].
💊 With food: Dietary fat is essential for absorption of both retinol and beta-carotene. Cooking vegetables (especially carrots, sweet potatoes) increases beta-carotene bioavailability by 3–6 fold compared with raw [2].
2 Which form?
| Form | Bioavailability | Vegan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ['Retinyl palmitate', 'common', 'Most common supplemental form. Preformed vitamin A with high bioavailability. Requires fat for absorption. Used widely in fortification programs [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Retinyl acetate', '', 'Preformed vitamin A. Similar efficacy to retinyl palmitate. Commonly found in multivitamins [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Beta-carotene', '', 'Provitamin A carotenoid. Conversion ratio approximately 12:1 (12 µg beta-carotene = 1 µg RAE) [2]. Non-toxic at high doses (carotenodermia is benign). Preferred in pregnancy when high-dose retinol is contraindicated [5].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Retinol (retinyl ester)', 'preferred', 'Highest bioavailability. Direct biological activity without conversion. Use with caution in pregnancy — teratogenic above 10,000 IU/day [4].'] | Standard | Check label |
3 Common questions
Can I get too much vitamin A from food? ▼
Yes, particularly from liver. A single 85 g serving of beef liver provides approximately 7 times the daily RDA [6]. Regular consumption of liver more than once weekly can lead to chronic hypervitaminosis A. Excessive intake from plant-based beta-carotene, however, does not cause toxicity — it causes benign carotenodermia (yellow-orange skin discoloration) [2].
Is beta-carotene safe for smokers? ▼
Supplemental beta-carotene at doses of 20–30 mg/day increased lung cancer risk by 16–28% in smokers in the ATBC and CARET trials [9]. Current guidelines advise smokers to avoid high-dose beta-carotene supplements. Dietary beta-carotene from food sources has not been associated with increased risk [9].
Should I take vitamin A during pregnancy? ▼
4 Clinical evidence
Strong
Prevention and treatment of vitamin A deficiency disorders including xerophthalmia and night blindness [3]. Reduction of childhood mortality by 23–34% in deficiency-prevalent populations: a Cochrane meta-analysis of 43 trials involving 215,633 children demonstrated significant reduction in all-cause mortality with vitamin A supplementation [7]. Essential role in maintaining mucosal immunity and epithelial barrier integrity [2]. HIGH
Moderate
Reduction in measles severity and mortality when administered at diagnosis: WHO recommends 200,000 IU for children over 12 months with measles in vitamin A-deficient regions [8]. Potential role in reducing the risk of certain cancers (lung, breast) through dietary beta-carotene intake from food sources, though supplemental beta-carotene increased lung cancer risk in smokers (ATBC and CARET trials) [9]. MODERATE
Insufficient
5 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Absolute contraindications
✕ Pregnancy at doses >10,000 IU/day retinol (teratogenic)
✕ Hypervitaminosis A
Relative
⚠ Liver disease (impaired storage and metabolism)
⚠ Concurrent retinoid medications (isotretinoin, acitretin)
⚠ Excessive alcohol use
🚩 Red flags
● Preformed retinol intake exceeding 10,000 IU/day in a woman of childbearing age [5]
● Unexplained headache, visual changes, and papilledema — consider pseudotumor cerebri [4]
● Persistent nausea with hepatomegaly in a supplement user — suspect chronic hypervitaminosis A [4]
● Child with night blindness and Bitot spots — urgent ophthalmologic referral and vitamin A treatment [3]
● Concurrent use with isotretinoin — absolute contraindication; discontinue supplement [4]
6 Interactions
Drug interactions
Isotretinoin (Accutane) Major
Mechanism: Isotretinoin is a synthetic retinoid. Combined with supplemental vitamin A, total retinoid load causes additive toxicity. [4]
Effect: Pseudotumor cerebri, severe mucocutaneous drying, hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity. [4]
Action: Absolutely contraindicated. Discontinue all vitamin A supplements during isotretinoin therapy [4].
Warfarin Major
Mechanism: High-dose vitamin A (>10,000 IU/day) may inhibit vitamin K-dependent clotting factor synthesis. [6]
Effect: Potentiated anticoagulant effect with increased risk of hemorrhage. [6]
Action: Monitor INR closely. Avoid vitamin A supplements exceeding RDA in patients on warfarin [6].
Orlistat Moderate
Mechanism: Orlistat inhibits pancreatic lipase, reducing dietary fat absorption by approximately 30%, thereby reducing absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. [6]
Effect: Reduced serum retinol levels with chronic use. [6]
Action: Take vitamin A supplement at least 2 hours before or after orlistat [6].
Tetracycline antibiotics Moderate
Mechanism: Both vitamin A and tetracyclines can independently raise intracranial pressure. Combined use is additive. [4]
Effect: Pseudotumor cerebri: headache, papilledema, visual disturbances. [4]
Action: Avoid concurrent high-dose vitamin A and tetracycline therapy [4].
Cholestyramine Moderate
Mechanism: Bile acid sequestrant binds fat-soluble vitamins in the intestinal lumen, preventing absorption. [6]
Effect: Reduced vitamin A absorption with chronic use. [6]
Action: Take vitamin A at least 1 hour before or 4 hours after cholestyramine [6].
Supplement synergies
Zinc · 15–30 mg/day
Required cofactor for retinol-binding protein synthesis. Zinc deficiency impairs hepatic vitamin A mobilization and transport [2].
Required cofactor for retinol-binding protein synthesis. Zinc deficiency impairs hepatic vitamin A mobilization and transport [2].
Iron · As per deficiency protocol
Vitamin A and iron co-supplementation improves anemia outcomes more than either alone in deficient populations [2].
Vitamin A and iron co-supplementation improves anemia outcomes more than either alone in deficient populations [2].
Vitamin D · 600–2,000 IU/day
Vitamins A and D share nuclear receptor pathways. Balanced intake of both optimizes bone metabolism and immune function [1].
Vitamins A and D share nuclear receptor pathways. Balanced intake of both optimizes bone metabolism and immune function [1].
7 Regulatory
United States (FDA): Classified as a dietary supplement. Labeling must use µg RAE (Retinol Activity Equivalents) since 2020. No prescription requirement for standard doses. Retinoid drugs (isotretinoin) are prescription-only [1].
European Union (EFSA): Authorized health claims for maintenance of normal vision, skin, mucous membranes, immune function, and iron metabolism [11]. Tolerable upper intake level: 3,000 µg RE/day for adults [4].
Japan (MHLW): Eligible for Foods with Function Claims. Adequate intake: 850 µg RAE/day for adult males. Upper limit: 2,700 µg RAE/day for adults.
South Korea (MFDS): Registered health functional food ingredient. Approved claims: vision and immune function maintenance.
8 US supplement products
2,766
on-market products containing Vitamin A (NIH DSLD)
Brands carrying Vitamin A (638)
Click a brand to see its Vitamin A products.
9 Frequently paired with
10 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Vitamin A — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 15]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vitamin-a/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Vitamin A — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vitamin-a/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: January 2027
References: 11 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Vitamin A — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vitamin-a/ CC BY 4.0.
GP
Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Health · Head of Department, DTMU
Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (ISSN 3088-4322)
Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · UEMS Public Health Section
Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG