Vitamin A supplements compared
We compare what each label says: vitamin A per serving, form, how big a serving is and how many you get. We have not tested any product, and we do not say how much you should take.
General information only, not medical advice. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting vitamin A, especially if you are pregnant, take medicines or have a health condition. Medical disclaimer.
Last checked November 10, 2026. How we evaluate · Corrections and updates
What the official figures say
The US Food and Drug Administration publishes one reference figure for each nutrient, the Daily Value (FDA, content current as of March 5, 2024):
- FDA Daily Value for vitamin A: 900 mcg RAE a day, the figure the %DV on labels is based on.
The FDA describes Daily Values as the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day, and the %DV on a Supplement Facts label is based on them. It is one figure for the label, so it does not show differences by age, sex or pregnancy, or an upper limit. The FDA Daily Value table does not give an upper limit, and we state none. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes a fact sheet on vitamin A; we have not read it for this page, and we link it as a place to look for amounts by age, sex and pregnancy and for upper limits. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about medicines and about any serving above the Daily Value. Source: FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, content current as of March 5, 2024.
How to read a vitamin A label
- Units. Labels may print IU, mcg or both, and a product name can quote one unit while the Supplement Facts panel uses another. The NOW 10,000 IU softgel, for example, is recorded as 3,000 mcg in the DSLD. Compare figures in the same unit.
- Vitamin A or beta-carotene. Check which one the label lists.
- Serving size. Check how many capsules, tablets, softgels or scoops make one serving before you compare doses or count servings.
- Form. The label may name a form, such as retinyl palmitate or a vitamin A palmitate.
- Percent Daily Value. The %DV on a label compares one serving with the Daily Value above. The records here give it for adults and children 4 or more years of age.
- Other ingredients. Read the "Other ingredients" list for allergens and added ingredients. Some labels list fish-derived ingredients such as fish liver oil.
- Independent testing. A testing or certification mark on a label is a statement on the label record, and we have not checked any mark with the certifier. The table quotes the marks a record states (Kosher, Halal and GMP statements are not listed). Check each one on the certifier's own site.
- Your total. The amounts on different labels add up across every supplement and multivitamin.
Comparison
Only products whose label data we have read appear here: on the maker's own page, or in the National Institutes of Health's Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), which records labels as submitted. A label can change after it was recorded. Selection is not a sales ranking. We will add Amazon best-seller positions only with a dated source.
| Product | Per serving | % DV on label | Servings | Form | Marks on the label | Label record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Vitamin A 10,000 IU, 100 Softgel(s) | 3000 mcg per serving (1 Softgel(s)) (product name: 10,000 IU) | 333% | 100 | Fish liver oil; retinyl palmitate (as listed in the record) | No testing mark stated in the record | Source |
| NOW Vitamin A 25,000 IU, 100 Softgel(s) | 7500 mcg per serving (1 Softgel; label directions: 1 softgel every 3 days) (product name: 25,000 IU) | 833% | 100 | Fish liver oil; retinyl palmitate (as listed in the record) | No testing mark stated in the record | Source |
| Pure Encapsulations Vitamin A 3,000 mcg, 120 Softgel Capsule(s) | 3000 mcg per serving (1 Softgel Capsule(s)) | 333% | 120 | Norwegian cod liver oil; vitamin A palmitate (as listed in the record) | No testing mark stated in the record | Source |
| Nature Made Vitamin A 8,000 IU, 100 Softgel(s) | 8000 IU per serving (1 Softgel(s)) | 160% | to be verified | Retinyl palmitate (as listed in the record) | USP Verified | Source |
All 4 products print a %DV, from 160% to 833% of the Daily Value. The Nature Made record lists 8,000 IU and prints 160% of the Daily Value, a figure that may reflect an older Daily Value, so it is not shown in the %DV column. The Pure Encapsulations and Nature Made records date from 2018. The NOW 25,000 IU record's directions read one softgel every 3 days. A clinician can say whether a serving above the Daily Value is appropriate for you.
Marks are quoted from each product's label record and have not been checked with the certifier. Kosher, Halal and GMP statements are not listed.
Products are added as their labels are read. Where a maker's site blocks automated reading, we wait until the label is available on the maker's page or in the DSLD instead of copying it from a retailer.
More comparisons
- Calcium supplements compared
- Folate and folic acid supplements compared
- Iodine supplements compared
- Iron supplements compared
- Magnesium supplements compared
- Potassium supplements compared
- Selenium supplements compared
- Vitamin B12 supplements compared
- Vitamin B6 supplements compared
- Vitamin C supplements compared
- Vitamin D supplements compared
- Vitamin E supplements compared
- Vitamin K supplements compared
- Zinc supplements compared
Questions
Does a higher dose mean a better product?
A higher dose is a larger number on the label, not a measure of quality. We do not rank products by dose.
Do you earn money from these links?
Links to Amazon may earn us a commission at no cost to you. See the affiliate disclosure and how we evaluate.