Vitamin A (retinol)

Vitamin A (as preformed retinol from animal foods, or made from beta-carotene in plants) is essential for vision, skin, immune function and cell growth. Deficiency is a serious problem in some populations but uncommon on a varied diet.

For well-nourished people a supplement offers little, and preformed vitamin A carries a real downside: it is fat-soluble and accumulates, so high doses can be toxic, and are specifically hazardous in pregnancy. This is a nutrient to get mostly from food unless a shortfall is identified.

Sources

• PubMed: vitamin A retinol supplementation deficiency toxicity (research overview)