How Much Vitamin A Is Too Much?
Key takeaways:
Vitamin A supports your immune system as well as your growth and development. It's also important for skin and eye health.
Most people get enough vitamin A in their diets and don't need a supplement for it. Organ meats, green leafy vegetables, and orange vegetables are all good sources of vitamin A.
Although rare, too much vitamin A can be toxic and make you sick. Vitamin A toxicity symptoms may include skin changes, headaches, and nausea.
Generally speaking, vitamins are taken to improve your health and well-being. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the U.S. because most people get enough of it from their normal diet. But dietary supplements of vitamin A are available as stand-alone supplements or as part of a multivitamin. And it’s important to know that taking too much vitamin A can be harmful.
But how do you tell if you have enough vitamin A? And how much is too much? A blood test can give you a specific answer, but symptoms you experience can also act as a guide.
Depending on your symptoms or situation, you may be thinking about the signs of vitamin A toxicity. This is when there’s too much vitamin A in the body. It’s rare, but when it happens, it's usually caused by high doses of vitamin A supplements. So if you take medications or supplements that contain vitamin A, it’s good to know how much is safe to take.
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Here, we’ll discuss what to know about using vitamin A supplements safely.
What is vitamin A?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Because it's fat-soluble, it’s stored in tissues all throughout your body. But your body can't make vitamin A on its own, so you need to get it from outside sources — like dietary supplements and food.
There are two types of vitamin A that are found in food and most supplements: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids.
Preformed vitamin A (also called retinol) comes from animal sources like whole milk, cheese, and some types of fish. When it’s added to dietary supplements, it’s usually called retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate.
Provitamin A carotenoids come from colorful fruits and vegetables. There are several different types of carotenoids, including the well-known beta carotene. It is a plant pigment that's well-known for giving carrots (and other fruits and vegetables) their orange color.
Both these forms of vitamin A get converted to retinoic acid once inside the body. This is the active form of vitamin A that the body can use in its daily functions.
Once it's in your body, vitamin A has many different jobs:
Helping your heart, lungs, and other organs work properly
Helping with growth and development
Maintaining healthy skin
Supporting your immune system
Helping the retina (light-sensitive part of the eye) make certain pigments that help us see
Keeping the cornea (clear part of the eye) hydrated
Supporting bone strength
Keeping the tissue that lines the nose, sinuses, and mouth healthy
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What types of vitamin A supplements are available?
People with low levels of vitamin A may take vitamin A as a dietary supplement. Over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin A supplements are commonly found online and on the shelves at your local pharmacy. Many OTC vitamins for eye health and multivitamins also contain vitamin A. They’re all typically available as oral pills.
Prescription creams and pills are also available. Retinoids, like tretinoin, are prescription medications that are FDA-approved to treat conditions like acne, psoriasis, and wrinkles. Retinol, which is not as strong as tretinoin, can be found in many OTC skin care products. Retinol products are typically available as creams.
What’s a safe dose of vitamin A?
Most people don’t need to take vitamin A supplements. In many cases, diet alone can provide a sufficient amount of vitamin A every day.
But if your healthcare provider recommends taking a vitamin A supplement, it’s important to know how much to take, especially when combined with your typical diet. Experts from the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine have developed guidelines covering how much vitamin A adults, adolescents, and children need each day.
These guidelines include a recommended daily allowance (RDA) and a recommended daily maximum of vitamin A. The RDA of vitamin A is the average amount of vitamin A each person needs in a day. The recommended daily maximum of vitamin A is the highest amount of vitamin A the average person can safely consume each day without getting sick.
Safe vitamin A dose for adults
The RDA of vitamin A depends on your age and sex. The recommended daily amount of vitamin A for adults are included in the table below.
| Life stage | RDA | Recommended daily maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Women ages 19 and older | 700 mcg | 3,000 mcg |
| Men ages 19 and older | 900 mcg | 3,000 mcg |
| Pregnant women ages 19 to 50 | 770 mcg | 3,000 mcg |
| Lactating women ages 19 to 50 | 1,300 mcg | 3,000 mcg |
Safe vitamin A dose for children and adolescents
The recommended daily amount of vitamin A for children and adolescents are as follows:
| Life stage | RDA | Recommended daily maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Infants up to 6 months | 400 mcg | 600 mcg |
| Infants ages 7 to 12 months | 500 mcg | 600 mcg |
| Children ages 1 to 3 | 300 mcg | 600 mcg |
| Children ages 4 to 8 | 400 mcg | 900 mcg |
| Children ages 9 to 13 | 600 mcg | 1,700 mcg |
| Females ages 14 to 18 | 700 mcg | 2,800 mcg |
| Males ages 14 to 18 | 900 mcg | 2,800 mcg |
| Pregnant women ages 14 to 18 | 750 mcg | 2,800 mcg |
| Lactating women ages 14 to 18 | 1,200 mcg | 2,800 mcg |
How much vitamin A is in dietary supplements?
It depends on the product. Many stand-alone vitamin A supplements contain 3,000 mcg of vitamin A. Multivitamins with vitamin A usually contain less — about 750 mcg to 1,000 mcg. Make sure to read the “Drug Facts” label on your supplement’s container to see how much vitamin A your product contains.
Since doses vary, you should ask your healthcare provider about how much additional vitamin A you should take, if any.
What are the signs and symptoms of a vitamin A overdose?
While vitamin A supports many important functions in your body, it can be dangerous in high doses. This can happen if you or a loved one take too many vitamin A supplements.
Acute vitamin A toxicity can happen within days to weeks after you take one or more high doses of vitamin A. Chronic vitamin A toxicity is more common. This can happen in people who regularly take high doses of vitamin A for a long period of time. Chronic toxicity is more likely when someone is ingesting 10 times the RDA per day.
The following symptoms are possible signs of vitamin A toxicity (overdose):
Skin irritation (like skin peeling, redness)
Dry skin, lips, and eyes
Hair loss
Blurry vision
Weaker bones
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Elevated cholesterol levels
In rare cases, it’s also possible to develop liver damage, kidney damage, or intense muscle and joint pain. If you’re experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, contact your healthcare provider right away.
Before taking any vitamin A supplement, check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. They can help you know if your total daily dose of vitamin A is within the safe limits.
What should I do if I accidentally take too much vitamin A?
If you have taken a large dose of vitamin A or have symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, you should call your healthcare provider right away. If you are unable to get in touch with them, or have immediate questions about your symptoms, you should call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. They can help walk you through what to do and if emergency treatment is needed.
And if your symptoms feel severe — like a bad headache, difficulty walking, or repeated vomiting — don’t hesitate to go to your nearest emergency room for help.
Treatment typically involves stopping vitamin A supplements, and most people fully recover naturally over time. In more severe cases of toxicity, additional supportive treatment may be needed.
Keep in mind that some people are more sensitive to vitamin A than others. For instance, children are more sensitive to vitamin A than adults. They can become sick after taking smaller amounts of products that have vitamin A, like acne creams with retinol in it.
The bottom line
Vitamin A is a vitamin that helps support healthy bones, eye health, and skin. The amount of vitamin A you need depends on your age, sex, and other factors, such as pregnancy and overall health. The best way to get vitamin A is through your diet, and most people will not need additional supplements. If you are wondering whether you get enough vitamin A on a daily basis, talk to your healthcare provider about whether a supplement is right for you.
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References
Food and Drug Administration. (2015). OTC drug facts label.
Food and Drug Administration. (2022). FDA 101: Dietary supplements.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Vitamin A.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n.d.). National suicide prevention lifeline.
Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Nutrient recommendations: Dietary reference intakes (DRI).
Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Vitamin A and carotenoids: Fact sheet for consumers.
Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Vitamin A and carotenoids: Fact sheet for health professionals.
Olson, J. M., et al. (2021). Vitamin A toxicity. StatPearls.
Rasmussen, H. M., et al. (2013). Nutrients for the aging eye. Clinical Interventions in Aging.
