Quick answer

Women need 700 mcg RAE of vitamin A a day, 770 mcg RAE in pregnancy and 1,300 mcg RAE while breastfeeding, and the amount does not change after 50. Anyone who is or might be pregnant should keep preformed vitamin A from supplements at or under 3,000 mcg RAE, or 10,000 IU, a day.¹

Key facts

Women's average intake from food was 616 mcg RAE a day in 2017 to 2018, a little under the 700 recommended.¹
Prenatal vitamins are usually made without retinol, the preformed kind of vitamin A.²
In one national survey, 27.7% of pregnant women fell short on vitamin A from food alone, and 15.5% once supplements were counted.²
Adults over 70 are among the people most likely to take a supplement that contains vitamin A.¹

How much women need

Vitamin A for girls and women, in mcg RAE a day¹
Life stage	Recommended	Upper limit, preformed
Girls 9 to 13	600	1,700
Girls 14 to 18	700	2,800
Women 19 and older	700	3,000
Pregnant, 14 to 18	750	2,800
Pregnant, 19 and older	770	3,000
Breastfeeding, 14 to 18	1,200	2,800
Breastfeeding, 19 and older	1,300	3,000

Over 40, 50 or 60 the recommended amount stays at 700 mcg RAE; NIH gives no separate figure for older women.¹

Breast milk from mothers who get enough vitamin A covers a baby's vitamin A needs for the first 6 months.¹

What the evidence shows for women

The graded statements for vitamin A apply to women and men alike. What changes for women is the amount, especially around pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Contributes to the maintenance of normal vision*^1,3,4

Moderate evidence

A long-established role of the vitamin. NIH describes vitamin A as an essential part of rhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein in the retina, and as needed for the normal working of the cornea and the membranes that cover the eye. The EU list of permitted nutrient-function statements, based on reviews by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), includes this wording for foods that are at least a source of vitamin A. It describes what getting enough does; it is not a finding that extra vitamin A changes eyesight in people who already get enough.

Amount studied: The recommended intake: 900 mcg RAE a day for men and 700 mcg RAE for women, from food and supplements together

Contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes*^1,3

Moderate evidence

Both are on the EU list of permitted nutrient-function statements for vitamin A, after EFSA review, and NIH describes vitamin A's role in normal cell growth and specialization. They are about getting enough. They are not evidence that extra vitamin A from supplements changes how skin looks, and regular high intakes of preformed vitamin A can dry the skin. Retinoid creams and prescription retinoids are different products and are not covered by these statements.

Amount studied: The recommended intake: 900 mcg RAE a day for men and 700 mcg RAE for women, from food and supplements together

Planning a pregnancy, pregnancy and breastfeeding

Too much preformed vitamin A during pregnancy can cause birth defects of the eyes, skull, lungs and heart. Experts advise anyone who is or might be pregnant, or is breastfeeding, not to take supplements that give more than 3,000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU) a day.^1,4

Beta-carotene is not known to cause birth defects. NIH notes that prenatal supplements generally provide no vitamin A as retinol, so check any other product you take for retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate on the label.^1,2

Isotretinoin, a prescription relative of vitamin A, also causes birth defects and is available only through a pregnancy prevention program. Its label says to avoid supplements that contain vitamin A.⁵

Getting too little matters as well. Worldwide, an estimated 10% to 20% of pregnant women in low-income countries are short of vitamin A.¹

After 50: bones and a history of smoking

In pooled observational studies of more than 280,000 people, the highest intakes of vitamin A and of retinol went with more hip fractures, while beta-carotene did not. The link was for hip fractures, not fractures overall, and studies like these cannot prove cause, but they are one more reason to keep preformed vitamin A within limits.⁶

Women who smoke or used to smoke have a specific reason for caution with beta-carotene. In the follow-up to the CARET trial, women who had taken beta-carotene with retinyl palmitate still had a 33% higher risk of lung cancer in the years after they stopped.¹

Choosing a supplement

Check which form the label names. Retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate are preformed vitamin A and count toward the upper limit; beta-carotene does not. Multivitamins often contain 750 to 1,050 mcg RAE, while stand-alone vitamin A products commonly contain 3,000 mcg RAE, more than four times what a woman needs.¹

Lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids too, but the body does not convert them into vitamin A.¹

Questions people ask

Why do prenatal vitamins leave out retinol?

NIH notes that prenatal supplements generally contain no retinol, and that too much retinol or other preformed vitamin A in pregnancy raises the chance of birth defects. Check the label of any other supplement you take during pregnancy for retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate.^1,2

Do women over 50 need more vitamin A?

No. The recommended amount stays at 700 mcg RAE a day after 50, and the upper limit for preformed vitamin A stays at 3,000 mcg. If you take more than one supplement, add up the preformed vitamin A in each.¹

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Sources

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.