Top Vitamin A Foods

  • Liver and whole milk are high cholesterol foods which should be eaten in moderate amounts and avoided by people at risk of heart disease or stroke.

List of Vitamin A Foods

#1: Sweet Potato (Cooked)
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup (200g)Per medium potato (114g)
19218IU (384% DV)38436IU (769% DV)21909IU (438% DV)
Other Types of Sweet Potato High in Vitamin A (%DV per cup): Frozen Sweet Potato, cooked, cubed (578%), Canned Sweet Potato (444%), and Raw Sweet Potato, cubed (377%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#2: Carrots (Cooked)
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, sliced (156g)Per carrot (46g)
17033IU (341% DV)26572IU (532% DV)7835IU (157% DV)
Other Types of Carrot High in Vitamin A (%DV per cup): Frozen Carrots, cooked, cubed (494%), and Raw Carrots, sliced (408%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#3: Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Cooked)
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, chopped (130g)
13621IU (272% DV)17707IU (354% DV)
Other Dark Leafy Greens High in Vitamin A (%DV per cup, cooked): Frozen Spinach (458%), Frozen Collards (391%), Frozen Kale (382%), Frozen Turnip Greens (353%), Spinach (377%), Dandelion Greens (305%), Collards (289%), Beet Greens & Turnip Greens (220%), Swiss Chard (214%), and Pak Choi (144%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#4: Squash (Butternut, Cooked)
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, cubes (205g)Per 1/2 cup, cubes (103g)
11155IU (223% DV)22868IU (457% DV)11434IU (229% DV)
Other Squash High in Vitamin A (%DV per cup, cooked): Hubbard, cubed (275%), Pumpkin, mashed (282%), and an average of All Varieties Of Winter Squash, cubed (214%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#5: Cos or Romaine Lettuce 
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, shredded (47g)Per head (626g)
8710IU (174% DV)4094IU (82% DV)54525IU (1090% DV)
Other Types of Lettuce High in Vitamin A (%DV per cup, shredded): Green Leaf (53%), Red Leaf (42%), Butterhead (36%), and Chicory (33%).Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#6: Dried Apricots 
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup (119g)Per 1/2 cup (60g)
12669IU (253% DV)15076IU (302% DV)7538IU (151% DV)
Other Dried Fruit High in Vitamin A (%DV per 1/2 cup): Prunes (24%), and Dried Peaches (17%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#7:Cantaloupe Melon
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, cubes (160g)Per medium wedge (69g)
3382IU (68% DV)5411IU (108% DV)2334IU (47% DV)
A medium wedge of cantaloupe melon contains 23 calories and 0.1g fat.Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#8: Sweet Red Peppers
Vitamin A in 100g1 cup chopped (149g)1 large pepper (164g)
3131IU (63% DV)4665IU (93% DV)5135IU (103% DV)
Other Peppers Providing Vitamin A (%DV per large pepper): Sweet Green Peppers (12%), and Sweet Yellow Peppers (7%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#9: Tuna Fish (Cooked)
Vitamin A in 100gPer 3oz (85g)Per ounce (28g)
2520IU (50% DV)2142IU (43% DV)714IU (14% DV)
Other Fish and Seafood High in Vitamin A (%DV per 3oz, cooked): Sturgeon (15%), Mackerel (14%), and Oysters (8%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#10: Tropical Fruit (Mango)
Vitamin A in 100gPer cup, pieces (165g)Per mango (336g)
1082IU (22% DV)1785IU (36% DV)3636IU (73% DV)
Other Tropical Fruit High in Vitamin A (%DV per fruit): Papaya, small (30%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.








Top 10 Vitamin A Foods

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that has a critical role in maintaining healthy vision, neurological function and healthy skin.
A vitamin A deficiency will lead to night blindness and can eventually cause thickening of the cornea and blindness.
People at risk for a vitamin A deficiency include alcoholics who’s excess toxicity creates low vitamin A levels.
Also, people with long term malabsorption of fats will have a vitamin A deficiency.
The most common health problems that cause malabsorption of vitamin A include:
  • Gluten sensitive
  • Leaky Gut
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis)
  • Pancreatic disorders
Vitamin A also plays a role in maintaining strong bones, gene regulation, clear skin, cell differentiation, and immune function. It is found in two primary forms: beta carotene and active Vitamin A.
Beta carotene, which is found primarily in plants, needs to be converted to active vitamin A in order to be utilized by the body. The RDA for vitamin A is 900mcg/day for men and 700mcg/day for women. The current daily value is 5000 IU.

Top 10 Vitamin A Foods

 1) Beef Liver3 ounces: 14,363 IU (almost 3x the DV)
2) Carrots1 cup raw sliced: 21,384(over 100% DV)
3) Sweet potato
1 whole: 18,443 IU (over 100% DV)
4) Kale
1 cup, chopped: 6693 IU (over 100% DV)
5) Spinach
1 cup raw: 2813 IU (56% DV)
6) Apricots
1 fruit: 674 IU (13% DV)
7) Broccoli
1 cup raw: 567 IU (11% DV)
8) Butter
1 Tbsp: 355 IU (7% DV)
9) Eggs
1 extra-large: 302 IU (6% DV)
10) Winter squash
1 cup, cubes: 514 IU (10% SV)

Top 10 Vitamin A Foods List

Vitamin A Benefits For Skin, Hair and Eyes


Vision Support
When light shines on the retina, in the human eye, a molecule called rhodopsin is activated. The activated rhodopsin sends a signal to the brain which results in vision. Vitamin A is a critical part of the rhodopsin molecule, which is why a deficiency in vitamin A can cause night blindness.
Beta carotene, the form of vitamin A found in plants, plays a role in preventing macular degeneration, the leading cause of age-related blindness.
Immune supportVitamin A is known as an immune boosting vitamin because several immune system functions are dependent on sufficient vitamin A. Genes involved in immune responses are regulated by Vitamin A. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to increased infections and an overall weakened immune system.
Beta-carotene is also a powerful antioxidant that can help boost the immune system and prevent a variety of chronic illnesses.
Skin Health and Cell GrowthVitamin A is needed to support all of the epithelial (skin) cells both internally and externally. It is needed to form glycoproteins, a combination of sugar and protein, which help the cells bind together forming soft tissues. Due to 
this function, Vitamin A is necessary for wound healing and skin regrowth.
Vitamin A is essential for skin health and and a deficiency can lead to a poor complexion.  Studies have proven that consuming vitamin A rich foods can fight acne and improve overall skin health.

Health Benefits of Vitamin A

  • Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections - Vitamin A is essential for healthy surface linings of the eyes, mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts.3-6
  • Proper Immune Functioning - Vitamin A is essential to regulate the immune system, and plays a key role in making white blood cells which fight off infections in the body.4,5,7-9
  • Cancer Protection (*Food Sources Only) - Studies suggest beta-carotene and vitamin A lower risk of many types of cancer.10 This effect could mainly be from a diet high in vegetables and not from supplements. Vitamin A supplements have been shown to increase risk of cancer.11-13

High Risk Groups for a Vitamin A Deficiency


  1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 25-26.
  2. Office Of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet: Vitamin A
  3. Semba RD. The role of vitamin A and related retinoids in immune function. Nutr Rev 1998;56:S38-48.
  4. Ross DA. Vitamin A and public health: Challenges for the next decade. Proc Nutr Soc 1998;57:159-65.
  5. Harbige LS. Nutrition and immunity with emphasis on infection and autoimmune disease. Nutr Health 1996;10:285-312.
  6. de Pee S, West CE. Dietary carotenoids and their role in combating vitamin A deficiency: A review of the literature. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996;50 Suppl 3:S38-53.
  7. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2001.
  8. Ross AC. Vitamin A and retinoids. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th Edition (edited by Shils ME, Olson J, Shike M, Ross AC). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, New York, 1999, pp. 305-27.
  9. Ross AC, Stephensen CB. Vitamin A and retinoids in antiviral responses. FASEB J 1996;10:979-85.
  10. Fontham ETH. Protective dietary factors and lung cancer. Int J Epidemiol 1990;19:S32-S42.
  11. Albanes D, Heinonen OP, Taylor PR, Virtamo J, Edwards BK, Rautalahti M, Hartman AM, Palmgren J, Freedman LS, Haapakoski J, Barrett MJ, Pietinen P, Malila N, Tala E, Lippo K, Salomaa ER, Tangrea JA, Teppo L, Askin FB, Taskinen E, Erozan Y, Greenwald P, Huttunen JK. Alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplement and lung cancer incidence in the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention study: Effects of base-line characteristics and study compliance. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996;88:1560-70.
  12. Redlich CA, Blaner WS, Van Bennekum AM, Chung JS, Clever SL, Holm CT, Cullen MR. Effect of supplementation with beta-carotene and vitamin A on lung nutrient levels. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998;7:211-14.
  13. Pryor WA, Stahl W, Rock CL. Beta carotene: from biochemistry to clinical trials. Nutr Rev 2000;58:39-53.

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