People need a variety of nutrients to maintain proper bodily functions and good health. Vitamins such as vitamin A play a key role in your body's ability to maintain proper health functions. Using data from the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture makes recommendations about the amount of vitamin A you should ingest each day. Your individual requirements may differ.
Recommended Daily Amount
The USDA recommends people ingest various amounts of vitamin A based on their age and sex. For example, children between the ages of 1 and 3 years should take in about 300 mcg of vitamin A per day, while those between the ages of 4 and 8 need 400 mcg per day. Males over the age of 13 need 900 mcg of vitamin A per day, while women over 13 need 700 mcg per day.
Benefits
Vitamin A helps maintain healthy skin, teeth and soft tissues, and promotes good low light and nighttime vision. The vitamin is often found in the active form known as retinol, as well as the inactive form known as beta carotene.
Sources
Sources of vitamin A include eggs, meat, fortified cheese, liver, cod fish and vegetables high in beta carotene, an inactive form of vitamin A that the body can convert to vitamin A as needed. In general, vegetables that have more intense skin colors have higher levels of beta carotene and do not have the high levels of saturated fat found with many of the other common sources of vitamin A.
Potential Harmful Effects
Too much vitamin A poses potential health risks. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, ingesting up to 3,000 mcg of vitamin A is considered safe, while anything over this amount poses risks. Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects, increase the risk for hip fractures and interfere with the benefits of vitamin D.
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