Nutrients -> Vitamins -> Fat soluble vitamins

Vitamin A (Retinol) Foods high in vitamin A (Retinol) and how much you need · Fat soluble vitamins

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that is found in animal products. It is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining healthy vision, skin, and immune function.

Most in a serving: Liver

There's no official daily target for vitamin A (Retinol).

Plant foods have little vitamin A (Retinol), so it comes mostly from animal foods. The richest are liver; eel and kefir, lowfat, plain, 1%.

Top sources

Are you getting enough vitamin A (Retinol)?

Knowing where vitamin A (Retinol) comes from is one part of the puzzle. Nutriely adds it up across your day against your own targets, shows which foods it came from and how it fits with every other nutrient.

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Foods highest in vitamin A (Retinol)

Ranked from 476 foods in our catalog, one entry per food.

1

Liver, boiled 22,021 µg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes
2

Roasted liver 21,243 µg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes
3

Duck, domesticated, liver, raw 10,186 µg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes
4

Eel 2,750 µg

serving (110 g) · Fish
5

Lamprey, smoked 1,375 µg

serving (55 g) · Fish products
6

Kefir, lowfat, plain, 1% 410 µg

serving (240 g) · Soured milks
7

European sprat 304 µg

serving (110 g) · Fish
8

Cheese, home-made cheese, 9-14% fat 267 µg

serving (110 g) · Cheese, unripened, fresh cheese
9

Croissant, home-made 201 µg

serving (55 g) · Savoury bakery
10

Egg, organic, fried 164 µg

large (50 g) · Egg
11

Egg yolk, fried 152 µg

large (17 g) · Egg
12

Yoghurt, turkish/greek, 10% fat 148 µg

serving (170 g) · Yoghurt
13

Milk, goat milk 128 µg

serving (240 g) · Milks >2% fat
14

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids 127 µg

serving (85 g) · Crustaceans and molluscs
15

Margarine 80%, cooking margarine, average 126 µg

tbsp (14 g) · Cooking and industrial fat
16

Processed cheese, 20-24% fat 108 µg

serving (55 g) · Processed cheese
17

Sour cream, 40% fat 106 µg

serving (30 g) · Fermented milk products, other
18

Butter oil, milk fat 104 µg

tbsp (12.8 g) · Butter, milk fat
19

Vendace 104 µg

serving (110 g) · Fish
20

Butter lactose-free 100 µg

tbsp (15 g) · Butter, milk fat
21

Whipping cream, 38% fat, low-lactose, ultra-heat-treated 96.2 µg

serving (30 g) · Cream
22

Cream cheese, mascarpone, 38% fat 95.6 µg

serving (30 g) · Cheese, unripened, fresh cheese
23

Butter, salted 94.9 µg

tbsp (14.2 g) · Butter, milk fat
24

Cream quark, 10% fat 90.3 µg

serving (110 g) · Quark
25

Steak tartare 89.4 µg

serving (110 g) · Steaks and chops
26

Whipped cream, unsweetened 88 µg

serving (30 g) · Cream
27

Curd milk, plain, 3.5% fat 77.9 µg

serving (240 g) · Cultured milks
28

Snail 76.5 µg

serving (85 g) · Crustaceans and molluscs
29

Egg yolk powder 74 µg

tbsp (4 g) · Egg
30

Chicken breast with skin, fried 70.1 µg

serving (85 g) · Chicken and other birds
31

Creme fraiche, 28% fat 66.2 µg

serving (30 g) · Fermented milk products, other
32

Pheasant, leg, meat only, raw 64.9 µg

serving (110 g) · Chicken and other birds
33

Chicken mince, fried 61.9 µg

serving (85 g) · Chicken and other birds
34

Cream liqueur, 15-17% 59.1 µg

fl oz (34 g) · Spirits
35

Skyr, plain, 4% fat 54 µg

serving (170 g) · Quark
36

Cooking fat, average 50.9 µg

serving (15 g) · Cooking and industrial fat
37

Sour milk, acidophilus bifidus, 2% fat, probiotics 48.7 µg

serving (240 g) · Soured milks
38

Mussel in water, canned 40.8 µg

serving (85 g) · Crustaceans and molluscs
39

Roe, average, salted 39.5 µg

serving (15 g) · Fish products
40

Pork ribs, fried 38.7 µg

serving (85 g) · Steaks and chops
41

Cottage cheese, 4% fat 36 µg

serving (100 g) · Cheese, unripened, fresh cheese
42

Champignon, fried 30.1 µg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom
43

Leek, fried 28.8 µg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables
44

Hare, grilled/fried 28.3 µg

serving (85 g) · Steaks and chops
45

Chicken nuggets, deep-fried, lactose-free 27 µg

serving (85 g) · Poultry dishes
46

Onion, fried 26.2 µg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables
47

Cooking cream, 19% fat 24.5 µg

tbsp (15 g) · Cream
48

Mushroom, fried 23.3 µg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom
49

Chanterelle, fried 22.1 µg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom
50

Baltic herring, smoked 21.8 µg

serving (55 g) · Fish products

Learn about vitamin A (Retinol)

What does retinol do for the body?

Retinol, also known as vitamin A, is essential for maintaining healthy vision, immune function, and skin health. It supports cell growth, helps regulate the immune system, and aids in the functioning of many organs, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

How much retinol do I need?

The recommended amount of vitamin A is usually expressed as retinol activity equivalents (RAE), which takes into account not only retinol but also carotenoids, which are converted in our bodies to retinol. According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the population reference intake (PRI) of vitamin A, which is likely to meet the needs for most healthy adults, is around 650 micrograms of RAE per day for women, and around 750 micrograms of RAE per day for men.

What are the health benefits of vitamin A?

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy vision, supporting immune function, and promoting proper growth and development. They also contribute to the health of your skin and help regulate cell growth and differentiation.

What are the health risks of retinol?

Consuming high doses of retinol, particularly in supplement form, may lead to toxicity and adverse health effects. These can include liver damage, bone abnormalities, birth defects, and skin changes. It is important to consult a healthcare professional before taking retinol supplements, especially if pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Can retinol be harmful?

Yes, excessive intake of retinol can be harmful. It can lead to symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and liver damage. It's essential to consume retinol within the recommended daily allowance to avoid adverse effects.

What if your vitamin A is low?

A low intake of Vitamin A retinol activity equivalents may lead to night blindness, dry eyes, and an increased susceptibility to infections. It is important to include vitamin A-rich foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and other in your diet to ensure adequate intake.

How do vegans get their retinol intake?

There is no retinol in plant-based products; however, vegans can get their vitamin A intake from plant-based sources that contain carotenes, especially beta-carotene, which the body can convert into retinol. Foods high in beta-carotene include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale. It's important for vegans to include these foods in their diet to ensure they are meeting their vitamin A needs.

Vitamin A (RAE)

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