Vitamin A (retinol), beta-carotene
The intake recommendations (D-A-CH reference values) of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) presented below are aimed at healthy people of normal weight. They do not refer to the supply of sick and convalescent people. Individual requirements may therefore be higher than the DGE recommendations (e.g. due to diet, consumption of stimulants, long-term medication, etc.).
Furthermore, you will find the safe daily maximum amount (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA/SCF) in the table on the right. This value reflects the safe maximum amount of a micronutrient (vital substance) that does not cause any side effects when taken daily from all sources (food and supplements) for a lifetime.
Recommended intake
| Age | Retinol | ||
| mg-equivalenta/day | Tolerable Upper Intake Level of SCFd (mg) | ||
| m | w | ||
| Infants | |||
| 0 to under 4 monthsb | 0,5 | – – | |
| 4 to under 12 months | 0,6 | – – | |
| Children | |||
| 1 to under 4 years | 0,6 | 0,8 | |
| 4 to under 7 years | 0,7 | 1,1 | |
| 7 to under 10 years | 0,8 | 1,5 | |
| 10 to under 13 years | 0,9 | 2,0 | |
| 13 to under 15 years | 1,1 | 1,0 | 2,0 |
| Adolescents and adults | |||
| 15 to under 19 years | 1,1 | 0,9 | 2,6 |
| 19 to under 25 years | 1,0 | 0,8 | 3,0 |
| 25 to under 51 years | 1,0 | 0,8 | 3,0 |
| 51 to under 65 years | 1,0 | 0,8 | 3,0 |
| 65 years and older | 1,0 | 0,8 | 3,0 |
| Pregnant | |||
| from 4. month | 1,1 | 3,0 | |
| Stillendec | 1,5 | 3,0 | |
a1 mg retinol equivalent = 6 mg all-trans-β-carotene = 12 mg other provitamin A carotenoids = 1 mg retinol = 1.15 mg all-trans-retinyl acetate = 1.83 mg all-trans-retinyl palmitate; 1 IU (International Units are now only specified in the pharmaceutical field) = 0.3 µg retinol.
bEstimated value
cCirca 70 µg retinol equivalent allowance per 100 g secreted milk
dTolerable Upper Intake Level (safe total daily intake) of the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF)
In the course of the standardization of European regulations, valid Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) were issued in the European Union (EU) and made mandatory for nutrition labeling in 1990 in Directive 90/496/EEC. An update of this directive took place in 2008. In 2011, the RDA values were replaced by NRV values (Nutrient Reference Value) in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. The NRV values indicate the amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that an average person should consume daily to meet their needs.
| Vitamin | Name | NRV |
| Vitamin A | Retinol | 800 µg |
Caution. An NRV is not an indication of maximum amounts and upper limits – see above under “Tolerable Upper Intake Level” (UL). NRV values also do not take into account gender and age – see above under Recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) e. V..
