What Is Vitamin A Measured In RAE & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids, like retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters. There are two forms of vitamin A are available in our diet: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids.

RAE is a measurement of counting bio-activities of vitamin a in foods.

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that cannot synthesize in our body.

Vitamin A Is Essential

Vitamin A is not just one vitamin. It is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids, like retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.(source ◳)

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that cannot synthesize in the body. Therefore, must be obtained through diet. (source ◳)

What is RAE?

RAE stands for retinol activity equivalents. It’s a measurement to count the different bio-activities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids in foods.

IU, international units is another measurement. RAE can only be converted into IUs if the source or sources of vitamin A are known. (source ◳)

Two Forms Of Vitamin A

Two forms of vitamin A are available in the human diet: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A. (source ◳)

Preformed vitamin a

Preformed vitamin A is found in foods from animal sources, dairy products, fish, and meat. (source ◳)

The most common preformed vitamin a is retinol, which is also called vitamin A1.

Provitamin a carotenoid

Provitamin A carotenoid and is found in fruits and vegetables. The most abundant provitamin A is beta-carotene. Examples of other provitamins A carotenoids are alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. (source ◳)

The bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids in fruit and vegetables is lower than once believed. It is difficult to fulfill the daily requirements through plant foods alone. (source ◳)

Toxicity Of Vitamin A

A high intake of vitamin A supplements over a prolonged period can lead to toxicity. Toxicity from food sources is rare. Supplementation should be used only periodically. (source ◳)

Foods You Can Find Vitamin A, RAE In

You find Vitamin A, RAE mostly in fats and oil, beef, lamb, veal, and game, poultry products.

Examples of food sources include

• Cod Liver Fish Oil
• Beef Liver
• Veal Liver
• Lamb Liver
• Domesticated Duck
• Turkey Liver
• Goose

Foods That Contain Vitamin A, RAE In Our Nutrition Tool

You can find regularly updated top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most Vitamin A, RAE we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Vitamin A, RAE.