1. Vitamin A

2. Definition
Vitamin A is a generic term for a large number of related compounds
Retinol (an alcohol)
Retinal (an aldehyde)
Retinoic acid
Carotenoids

4. Function Vision Regulation of gene expression
Maintenance of epithelial tissue
Immunity
Growth and development
Red blood cell production
Prevention of cancer

5. Males: mcg/day (IU/day) Females: mcg/day (IU/day)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A as Preformed Vitamin A (Retinol)
Life Stage 
Age 
Males: mcg/day (IU/day)
Females: mcg/day (IU/day) 
Infants 
0-6 months 
400 (1333 IU)
7-12 months 
500 (1667 IU) 
500 (1667 IU)
Children 
1-3 years 
300 (1000 IU)
300 (1000 IU)
4-8 years 
9-13 years 
600 (2000 IU)
Adolescents 
14-18 years 
900 (3000 IU)
700 (2333 IU)
Adults 
19 years and older 
Pregnancy 
18 years and younger  - 
750 (2500 IU)
19-years and older
770 (2567 IU)
Breastfeeding 
1,200 (4000 IU)
19-years and older 
1,300 (4333 I

6. Good dietary sources of vitamin A
Best sources include:
beef liver
carrots (as beta-carotene)
mustard greens (as beta-carotene)
eggs
apricots (as beta-carotene)
Note that beta-carotene is much less toxic in higher doses than is the preformed animal forms of vitamin A

8. Food
Serving
Vitamin A, RAE
Vitamin A, IU
Retinol, mcg
Retinol, IU
Cod liver oil
1 teaspoon
1,350 mcg
4,500 IU
Fortified breakfast cereals
1 serving
mcg IU
Egg
1 large
91 mcg
303 IU
89 mcg
296 IU
Butter
1 tablespoon
97 mcg
323 IU
95 mcg
317 IU
Whole milk
1 cup (8 fl ounces)
68 mcg
227 IU
2% fat milk (vitamin A added)
134 mcg
447 IU
Nonfat milk (vitamin A added)
149 mcg
500 IU
Sweet potato
1/2 cup, mashed
959 mcg
3,196 IU
Carrot (raw)
1/2 cup, chopped
385 mcg
1,283 IU
Cantaloupe
1/2 medium melon
466 mcg
1,555 IU
Spinach
1/2 cup, cooked
472 mcg
1,572 IU
Squash, butternut 
572 mcg
1,906 IU

9. Quantity Bioconverted to Retinol
Retinol activity equivalency (RAE) ratios for beta-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids
Quantity Consumed
Quantity Bioconverted to Retinol 
RAE ratio 
1 mcg of dietary or supplemental vitamin A 
1 mcg of retinol* 
1:1 
2 mcg of supplemental beta-carotene 
1 mcg of retinol 
2:1 
12 mcg of dietary beta-carotene 
12:1 
24 mcg of dietary alpha-carotene 
24:1 
24 mcg of dietary beta-cryptoxanthin
24:1
*One IU is equivalent to 0.3 mcg of retinol, and one mcg of retinol is equivalent to 3.33 IU of retinol.

11. vitamin A deficiency Symptoms Dry, hard skin
Dry cornea and eventual blindness (Xerophthalmia)
Night blindness (insufficient retinal for rhodopsin formation)
Impaired immune function
Deficiency also causes a decrease in appetite and poor growth

13. Cause of deficiency Insufficent intake(poverty,low income,…)
Lack of food sources of V.A
Low fat diet
Malabsorption(surgery,parasite,…)
Increasedneed(pregnancy,breastfeeding,…)
Insufficent Supplemental feeding
Infectious disease

14. Deficiency in children:
250 millions preschool children have subclinical deficiency
The most incidencecause of blindness in developing countries( children in year)
If 1% children(2-6 years old)with night blindness or 10% children (6 months-6 years )had serum retinol below 7%micromol/l that population had health problem.
Improve of V.A level in infant lead to decrease of 23% mortality

15. Control of VADD 1.Breastfeeding 2.Supplementation 3.Fortification
4.Food variety
5.Control of infectious disease&parasite

16. Supplement in severeV.A.D populatin
Infant(<6months) IU
(not fed breastmilk or their mothers not take V.A supplement)
Infant(6-12months ) IU
(every 4-6 months)
Children(>1 year) IU
Children mega dose
(withmeaslse,diahrea,pneumonia& severe malnutrition)
Mothers mega dose
(during 8 week after delivery)

17. Supplement in low V.A.D populatin
Children(<2 years) IU/daily
Pregnancy IU/daily
(from4 months- delivery)
2500IU/weekly

20. Toxicity
Symptoms
nausea, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, dizziness, and dry skin, in pregnancy birth defects
Signs of chronic toxicity
dry itchy skin, loss of appetite, headache, and bone and joint pain
Severe hypervitaminosis A
liver damage, hemorrhage, and coma

21. Tolerable Upper Level of Intake (UL) for Preformed Vitamin A (Retinol)
Age Group 
UL in mcg/day (IU/day)
Infants 0-12 months 
600 (2,000 IU) 
Children 1-3 years 
Children 4-8 years 
900 (3,000 IU) 
Children 9-13 years 
1,700 (5,667 IU) 
Adolescents years 
2,800 (9,333 IU) 
Adults 19 years and older 
3,000 (10,000 IU)