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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for vitamin A is 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts only preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters such as retinyl palmitate or acetate) from food, fortified food and supplements. Beta-carotene doesn't count toward it.
Check your amount
Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Type the amount from your label to compare it with the upper limit.
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Vitamin A upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | 600 mcg (2,000 IU) | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 900 mcg (3,000 IU) | 900 mcg (3,000 IU) | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 1,700 mcg (5,667 IU) | 1,700 mcg (5,667 IU) | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 2,800 mcg (9,333 IU) | 2,800 mcg (9,333 IU) | 2,800 mcg (9,333 IU) | 2,800 mcg (9,333 IU) |
| 19-30 years | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) |
| 31-50 years | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) |
| 51-70 years | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | – | – |
| 71+ years | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU) | – | – |
How much Vitamin A you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 400 mcg* | 400 mcg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 500 mcg* | 500 mcg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 300 mcg | 300 mcg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 400 mcg | 400 mcg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 600 mcg | 600 mcg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 900 mcg | 700 mcg | 750 mcg | 1,200 mcg |
| 19-30 years | 900 mcg | 700 mcg | 770 mcg | 1,300 mcg |
| 31-50 years | 900 mcg | 700 mcg | 770 mcg | 1,300 mcg |
| 51-70 years | 900 mcg | 700 mcg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 900 mcg | 700 mcg | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Vitamin A limit
The limit counts only preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters such as retinyl palmitate or acetate) from food, fortified food and supplements. Beta-carotene doesn't count toward it.
Labels list vitamin A in mcg RAE, older ones in IU. For retinol, 1 IU = 0.3 mcg, so the adult limit of 3,000 mcg is 10,000 IU. Beta-carotene converts differently and doesn't count toward the limit.
What happens with too much Vitamin A
The National Academies' vitamin A report (IOM 2001) based the UL on teratogenicity (birth defects) for women of childbearing age and on liver abnormalities for all other adults, and names bulging fontanel and skeletal abnormalities as particular concerns in infants given high doses. It also says that high beta-carotene intake has not been shown to cause hypervitaminosis A, and the Public Health Agency of Canada states that "when taken in excess, vitamin A (retinol) is known to increase the risk of birth defects."
Sources: National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (2011); Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (2001). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin A fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.