Foods high in Vitamin A, RAE

Vitamin A, RAE measures how much usable vitamin A a food actually provides, since animal-derived retinol and plant-derived carotenoids like beta-carotene contribute to that total at very different rates. The nutrient supports vision, especially in low light, immune defense against infection, and the health of the cells lining the skin, lungs, and gut. People eating limited amounts of animal-source foods and colorful fruits and vegetables together, pregnant and breastfeeding women, whose needs rise above the general adult amount, and people with liver disease or conditions that impair fat absorption are among those more likely to fall short. When reading the list below, notice that organ meats such as liver dominate the top of the ranking by a wide margin: retinol from animal foods converts to RAE efficiently, while provitamin A carotenoids from vegetables and fruits convert far less efficiently, so it takes a much larger weight of a vegetable to reach the same RAE value as a small amount of liver. That inefficiency is also why very high RAE totals from vegetables are not a safety concern in the way high-dose animal-derived vitamin A or supplements can be.

Adults need about 900.0000 UG/day (age 19+) — NIH ODS, Vitamin A and Carotenoids – Health Professional Fact Sheet (corroborated).