Vitamin A

Summary

Vitamins are substances that your body needs to grow and develop normally. Vitamin A plays a role in your:

• Vision
• Bone growth
• Reproduction
• Cell functions
• Immune system

Vitamin A is an antioxidant. It can come from plant or animal sources. Plant sources include colorful fruits and vegetables. Animal sources include liver and whole milk. Vitamin A is also added to foods like cereals.

Vegetarians, young children, and alcoholics may need extra Vitamin A. You might also need more if you have certain conditions, such as liver diseases, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn’s disease. Check with your health care provider to see if you need to take vitamin A supplements.

NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements

Patient Handouts

• Beta-carotene blood test Medical Encyclopedia
• Hypervitaminosis A Medical Encyclopedia
• Vitamin A Medical Encyclopedia
• Vitamin A blood test Medical Encyclopedia

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitamin A National Institutes of Health

Find an Expert

• Find a Nutrition Expert Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration
• Food and Nutrition Information Center Food and Nutrition Information Center
• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements

Journal Articles

• Vitamin A

Start Here

• Vitamin A National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
• Vitamin A Harvard School of Public Health