Vitamin A
Vitamin A peaks in our food database at liver, with 9000 µg RAE per 100 grams, then smoked eel at 1043 µg and carrots at 835 µg. The European reference intake is 800 µg RAE per day (EU NRV). Plant sources supply beta-carotene, which the body converts itself; that is why the database counts in retinol activity equivalents.
What may be said about vitamin A
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 holds a closed list of wordings permitted for this vitamin. Among them: "vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision", "vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin" and "vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system". We quote those sentences as they stand and add nothing to them. Anything beyond the list — curing, preventing disease, fixing complaints — falls under medicines law and has no place on the page of a coaching business.
The five richest sources in our database
Per 100 grams the ranking runs: liver at 9000 µg RAE, smoked eel at 1043 µg RAE, carrots at 835 µg RAE, margarine at 819 µg RAE and sweet potato at 709 µg RAE. Two things stand out. First, the gap between organ meat and everything else is enormous: a single serving of liver already delivers a multiple of the reference intake. Second, margarines sold in the Netherlands are fortified with vitamins A and D by law, which explains why a pure fat product sits this high.
800 µg RAE a day, and where that figure comes from
The 800 µg RAE we use is the EU NRV: the reference intake European labels use to calculate percentages. It is a labelling value for the average adult, not a personal target and not a floor you must hit precisely every single day. Intake averages out across the week rather than the day. Anyone eating orange or dark green vegetables three times a week, plus fish or eggs now and then, comfortably clears it in practice.
When intake runs low
A low intake of this vitamin is unusual in the Netherlands, because vegetables, dairy and fortified spreads supply it broadly. The pattern we do meet during intakes is monotony: someone running the same four meals for months on end is short on variety rather than on calories. We diagnose nothing ourselves. If you suspect something is off, a blood value taken through your GP is the only way to know; a website cannot do that for you and we will not pretend otherwise.
Supplementing, and what this has to do with training
We sell no supplements and hold no interest in any brand, so you will not get a recommendation here. What we will say: vitamin A is fat-soluble and accumulates in the liver, which makes a high intake from capsules behave differently from a high intake from food. For anyone training four or five times a week, the practical gain is not one more capsule but a fixed vegetable base under every meal — which is also the first thing we lock down in a coaching programme.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most vitamin A?
In our database liver leads with 9000 µg RAE per 100 grams, with smoked eel at 1043 µg RAE and carrots at 835 µg RAE.
How much vitamin A do you need per day?
We use 800 µg RAE per day, the European reference intake (EU NRV) also printed on labels. It is an average for adults, not a personal prescription.
What does µg RAE actually mean?
RAE stands for retinol activity equivalents. It puts retinol from animal products and beta-carotene from plants on a single scale, because the body converts beta-carotene only partly.
Can you get enough vitamin A from food?
Yes. A hundred grams of carrots already covers well over 100 percent of the reference intake, and sweet potato comes close at 709 µg RAE. If you still suspect something, have your GP check it.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.