What Is a Vitamin A Deficiency, and Who Is at Risk?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSigns and SymptomsTreatment and PreventionVitamin A in FoodWhen to SupplementRisks of Too Much

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes

Signs and Symptoms

Treatment and Prevention

Vitamin A in Food

When to Supplement

Risks of Too Much

A vitamin A deficiency occurs when the body doesn’t get enough vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin. It’s important for healthy vision, a strong immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. The deficiency mostly affects the eyes and eyesight, possibly leading to blindness if not recognized and treated.

Most people in developed countries, such as the United States, get enoughvitamin Ain their diets, but deficiencies are not uncommon in developing countries. However, some people may be at greater risk of vitamin A deficiency regardless of where they live. A deficiency can occur if you cannot get enough vitamin A from your diet or have trouble absorbing the vitamin.

What Causes a Vitamin A Deficiency?

Anyone who doesn’t eat enough foods that contain vitamin A or has trouble absorbing vitamin A is at risk of developing a deficiency. This may include the following groups:

People with disorders of the gut or liver may also be at risk. These include:

Vitamin A deficiency mostly affects the eyes and eyesight. Signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency may include:

Complications

Vitamin A is a leading cause of preventable blindness in children worldwide.

Vitamin A deficiency mainly affects the eyes. The first sign of vitamin A deficiency is often night blindness. Xerophthalmia also negatively affects the cornea of the eye and can lead to irreversible blindness if left untreated.

Vitamin A deficiency can also contribute to an increased risk of infections. Furthermore, it has been associated with pregnancy deaths and negative outcomes related to pregnancy and lactation.

Treatment should always include education and counseling so that deficient individuals understand foods that should be included in the diet to get enough vitamin A.This may include working with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

The Food and Nutrition Board has set Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) levels for vitamin A.This is the minimum amount needed to prevent a vitamin A deficiency.

RAE is used because of the different bioactivities of retinol and carotenoids. One mcg of RAE is equivalent to:

What Foods Contain Vitamin A?

Foods that are good sources of vitamin A include:

There are two sources of vitamin A available in the foods we eat:Preformed vitamin Ais the source from animal products. This would be found in dairy products, eggs, meats, liver, and fish.Provitamin Acarotenoids are plant pigments like beta-carotene. These come from plant sources of vitamin A. Once consumed, provitamin A carotenoids are converted into vitamin A in the body.

There are two sources of vitamin A available in the foods we eat:

When Should You Supplement?

Supplementation is recommended for suspected or confirmed vitamin A deficiencies. Your primary healthcare provider will recommend a high dose of supplemental vitamin A for a few days and then a lower dose until symptoms improve. Doses of vitamin A may vary depending on your health history and the severity of the deficiency.

For isolated vitamin A deficiencies, a single vitamin A supplement will work. Afterward, a multivitamin containing vitamin A may be enough for maintenance.

Your healthcare provider may recommend different supplement regimens for people with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders or medical conditions. For example, people with cystic fibrosis or pancreatic insufficiency may need all fourfat-soluble vitaminssupplemented. In this case, a supplement that provides a blend of vitamins A, D, E, and K in a water-soluble form may be prescribed.

There is no need to supplement vitamin A if you are not deficient.

Supplementing vitamin A should be done under medical supervision. Your healthcare provider can help you assess your vitamin A status and determine if vitamin A supplementation is appropriate for you.

How Long Does It Take to Correct a Vitamin A Deficiency?

With appropriate supplementation, symptoms like Bitot’s spots and night blindness can resolve in about two months.If the deficiency is left untreated, night blindness can advance to complete blindness that can not be corrected.

Aiding Vitamin A AbsorptionSince vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is important to include some healthy fats in your diet to help your body absorb it.Oils like avocado, olive, or canola arehealthy fatsto include because they are mostly monounsaturated fats. Avocados and some nuts are also good sources of healthy fats.

Aiding Vitamin A Absorption

Since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is important to include some healthy fats in your diet to help your body absorb it.Oils like avocado, olive, or canola arehealthy fatsto include because they are mostly monounsaturated fats. Avocados and some nuts are also good sources of healthy fats.

Since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is important to include some healthy fats in your diet to help your body absorb it.

Oils like avocado, olive, or canola arehealthy fatsto include because they are mostly monounsaturated fats. Avocados and some nuts are also good sources of healthy fats.

Risks of Too Much Vitamin A

Taking excessive amounts of vitamin A over the long term can be detrimental.

As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin A is stored in the body, even in excess amounts. It can accumulate and lead totoxicity,referred to ashypervitaminosisA. This could happen days to weeks after taking very high amounts of vitamin A (100 times the RDA).

Signs of hypervitaminosis A may include:

It should be noted that vitamin A supplements may be a combination of preformed vitamin A and beta-carotene.

Some research suggests that other risks of supplemental vitamin A include:

Summary

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, and most people get enough in their diet. However, a deficiency can occur when the body doesn’t get enough vitamin A to support its needs.

Vitamin A deficiencies are rare in developed countries, but they can happen. Like many other vitamins, some people are more at risk of deficiency and may benefit from supplementation. People with difficulty absorbing nutrients due to GI disorders are at a higher risk.

Vitamin deficiencies should be diagnosed and treated under medical supervision, as excessive amounts may pose risks.

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin A and carotenoids.Yule S, Wanik J, Holm EM, et al.Nutritional Deficiency Disease Secondary to ARFID Symptoms Associated with Autism and the Broad Autism Phenotype: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(3):467-492. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.017Nakanishi H, Abi Mosleh K, Al-Kordi M, et al.Evaluation of Long-Term Nutrition Outcomes After Duodenal Switch: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Am Surg. 2024;90(3):399-410. doi:10.1177/00031348231201886Hadi H, Stoltzfus RJ, Dibley MJ, et al.Vitamin A supplementation selectively improves the linear growth of indonesian preschool children: results from a randomized controlled trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(2):507-513. doi:10.1093/ajcn/71.2.507World Health Organization.Vitamin A deficiency.Nankumbi J, Grant F, Sibeko L, et al.Effects of food-based approaches on vitamin A status of women and children: a systematic review.Adv Nutr. 2023;14(6):1436-1452. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.08.009Ma G, Chen Y, Liu X, et al.Vitamin a supplementation during pregnancy in shaping child growth outcomes: A meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(33):12240-12255. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2099810Gilbert C.The eye signs of vitamin A deficiency.Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):66-67.The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group.Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers.N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-1035. doi:10.1056/NEJM199404143301501Neuhouser ML, Barnett MJ, Kristal AR, et al.Dietary supplement use and prostate cancer risk in the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(8):2202-2206. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-0013O’Connor EA, Evans CV, Ivlev I, et al.Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); June 2021.

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin A and carotenoids.Yule S, Wanik J, Holm EM, et al.Nutritional Deficiency Disease Secondary to ARFID Symptoms Associated with Autism and the Broad Autism Phenotype: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(3):467-492. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.017Nakanishi H, Abi Mosleh K, Al-Kordi M, et al.Evaluation of Long-Term Nutrition Outcomes After Duodenal Switch: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Am Surg. 2024;90(3):399-410. doi:10.1177/00031348231201886Hadi H, Stoltzfus RJ, Dibley MJ, et al.Vitamin A supplementation selectively improves the linear growth of indonesian preschool children: results from a randomized controlled trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(2):507-513. doi:10.1093/ajcn/71.2.507World Health Organization.Vitamin A deficiency.Nankumbi J, Grant F, Sibeko L, et al.Effects of food-based approaches on vitamin A status of women and children: a systematic review.Adv Nutr. 2023;14(6):1436-1452. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.08.009Ma G, Chen Y, Liu X, et al.Vitamin a supplementation during pregnancy in shaping child growth outcomes: A meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(33):12240-12255. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2099810Gilbert C.The eye signs of vitamin A deficiency.Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):66-67.The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group.Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers.N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-1035. doi:10.1056/NEJM199404143301501Neuhouser ML, Barnett MJ, Kristal AR, et al.Dietary supplement use and prostate cancer risk in the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(8):2202-2206. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-0013O’Connor EA, Evans CV, Ivlev I, et al.Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); June 2021.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin A and carotenoids.Yule S, Wanik J, Holm EM, et al.Nutritional Deficiency Disease Secondary to ARFID Symptoms Associated with Autism and the Broad Autism Phenotype: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(3):467-492. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.017Nakanishi H, Abi Mosleh K, Al-Kordi M, et al.Evaluation of Long-Term Nutrition Outcomes After Duodenal Switch: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Am Surg. 2024;90(3):399-410. doi:10.1177/00031348231201886Hadi H, Stoltzfus RJ, Dibley MJ, et al.Vitamin A supplementation selectively improves the linear growth of indonesian preschool children: results from a randomized controlled trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(2):507-513. doi:10.1093/ajcn/71.2.507World Health Organization.Vitamin A deficiency.Nankumbi J, Grant F, Sibeko L, et al.Effects of food-based approaches on vitamin A status of women and children: a systematic review.Adv Nutr. 2023;14(6):1436-1452. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.08.009Ma G, Chen Y, Liu X, et al.Vitamin a supplementation during pregnancy in shaping child growth outcomes: A meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(33):12240-12255. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2099810Gilbert C.The eye signs of vitamin A deficiency.Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):66-67.The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group.Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers.N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-1035. doi:10.1056/NEJM199404143301501Neuhouser ML, Barnett MJ, Kristal AR, et al.Dietary supplement use and prostate cancer risk in the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(8):2202-2206. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-0013O’Connor EA, Evans CV, Ivlev I, et al.Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); June 2021.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin A and carotenoids.

Yule S, Wanik J, Holm EM, et al.Nutritional Deficiency Disease Secondary to ARFID Symptoms Associated with Autism and the Broad Autism Phenotype: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(3):467-492. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.017

Nakanishi H, Abi Mosleh K, Al-Kordi M, et al.Evaluation of Long-Term Nutrition Outcomes After Duodenal Switch: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Am Surg. 2024;90(3):399-410. doi:10.1177/00031348231201886

Hadi H, Stoltzfus RJ, Dibley MJ, et al.Vitamin A supplementation selectively improves the linear growth of indonesian preschool children: results from a randomized controlled trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(2):507-513. doi:10.1093/ajcn/71.2.507

World Health Organization.Vitamin A deficiency.

Nankumbi J, Grant F, Sibeko L, et al.Effects of food-based approaches on vitamin A status of women and children: a systematic review.Adv Nutr. 2023;14(6):1436-1452. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.08.009

Ma G, Chen Y, Liu X, et al.Vitamin a supplementation during pregnancy in shaping child growth outcomes: A meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(33):12240-12255. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2099810

Gilbert C.The eye signs of vitamin A deficiency.Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):66-67.

The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group.Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers.N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-1035. doi:10.1056/NEJM199404143301501

Neuhouser ML, Barnett MJ, Kristal AR, et al.Dietary supplement use and prostate cancer risk in the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(8):2202-2206. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-0013

O’Connor EA, Evans CV, Ivlev I, et al.Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); June 2021.

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