How much vitamin A do adults need?

Adults need 900 micrograms (3,000 IU) for men and 700 micrograms (2,333 IU) for women (US, NIH). In the UK: 700 micrograms a day for men and 600 micrograms for women (NHS).

Which foods have vitamin A?

Beef liver, oily fish, eggs, milk and cheese, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli.

What should I watch out for with vitamin A?

The upper limit covers preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters). Beta-carotene does not count towards it. The NHS advises against cod liver oil or any supplement with vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy.

Vitamin A: what it does and how much you need

Vitamin A helps with vision, the immune system and reproduction, and helps the heart, lungs and other organs work properly. Adults need 900 micrograms (3,000 IU) for men and 700 micrograms (2,333 IU) for women, and the upper limit is 3,000 micrograms (10,000 IU) of preformed vitamin A.

Checked 28 September 2026 with Supplement Check's data from the NIH fact sheet and NHS guidance · Adults only

General information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor or pharmacist before taking a supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take any medicine, or are under 18.

In the UK

In the UK, adults need 700 micrograms a day for men and 600 micrograms for women, and the NHS says up to 1,500 micrograms (1.5 milligrams) a day from food and supplements combined is unlikely to cause harm. The NHS advises against cod liver oil or any supplement with vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy.

How much you need and the upper limit

	US (NIH)	UK (NHS)
Adults need	900 micrograms (3,000 IU) for men and 700 micrograms (2,333 IU) for women	700 micrograms a day for men and 600 micrograms for women
Upper limit	3,000 micrograms (10,000 IU) of preformed vitamin A	Up to 1,500 micrograms (1.5 milligrams) a day from food and supplements combined

The UK figure is the amount the NHS says is unlikely to cause harm. Figures are for adults.

Cautions

The upper limit covers preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters). Beta-carotene does not count towards it.
The NHS advises against cod liver oil or any supplement with vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy.

Food sources

Beef liver
Oily fish
Eggs
Milk and cheese
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Spinach
Broccoli

Forms on the label

Beta-carotene is a plant form of vitamin A that the body converts as needed, and it does not count towards the vitamin A upper limit.

Dose questions

Is 10,000 IU of vitamin A too much?

Quick answers

What does vitamin A do?: Vitamin A helps with vision, the immune system and reproduction, and helps the heart, lungs and other organs work properly.
How much vitamin A do adults need?: Adults need 900 micrograms (3,000 IU) for men and 700 micrograms (2,333 IU) for women (US, NIH). In the UK: 700 micrograms a day for men and 600 micrograms for women (NHS).
What is the upper limit for vitamin A?: US: 3,000 micrograms (10,000 IU) of preformed vitamin A. UK (NHS): up to 1,500 micrograms (1.5 milligrams) a day from food and supplements combined is unlikely to cause harm.
Which foods have vitamin A?: Beef liver, oily fish, eggs, milk and cheese, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli.
What should I watch out for with vitamin A?: The upper limit covers preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters). Beta-carotene does not count towards it. The NHS advises against cod liver oil or any supplement with vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy.

Sources

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
NHS vitamins and minerals guidance
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-a/

Ask Supplement Check yourself

Type a vitamin, mineral or supplement, a dose, or a product name, and get the daily need, the upper limit and any cautions. Open Supplement Check, free, no sign-up.

In Claude or any app that takes MCP connectors, add https://goodturn-mcp.pages.dev/supplementcheck/mcp and ask: “Is 10,000 IU of vitamin A too much?”