"If you don't eat carrots, you'll have bad eyesight." Who among us hasn't heard that when we were kids? Everyone knows that carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for eye health. But the positive effect of vitamin A on the human body doesn't stop there. A is also a powerful antioxidant, supports the health of human skin, male and female reproductive organs and much more. Its sufficient intake is therefore not worth underestimating.
To make it easier for you to find the best vitamin A supplement on the market, we have prepared a clear ranking for you. In it, we have compared the best products on the market and ranked them according to composition, active ingredient content and, of course, price. So which products do we recommend?
Ranking of the best vitamins A
| Ranking | Image | Product | Main advantages | Price | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
|
Vilgain Clear Whey Isolate | 100 doses per pack, One dose contains 25 000 IU of vitamin A, Gelatin capsules | Best price More information | |
| 2. |
|
Swanson Vitamin A | 250 doses per pack, One dose contains 10 000 IU of vitamin A, Softgel capsules | Best price More information | |
| 3. |
|
MedPharma Beta Karoten | 107 doses per pack, One dose contains 10 000 IU of vitamin A, Supplement in tablet form | Best price More information | |
| 4. |
|
NOW Vitamin A | 100 doses per pack, One dose contains 10 000 IU of vitamin A, Softgel capsules | Best price More information | |
| 5. |
|
MedPharma Vitamin A + D | 107 doses per pack, One dose contains 5 000 IU of vitamin A, Supplement in tablet form | Best price More information | |
| 6. |
|
Viridian Beta-karoten Complex | 90 doses per pack, Contains a combination of beta carotene and other substances, Vegan capsules | Best price More information | |
| 7. |
|
GreenFood Lutein + Vitamin A | 60 doses per pack, One dose contains 1 300 IU of vitamin A, Vegetable capsules | Best price More information |
Detailed analysis of the best vitamins A
In our comparison, VitaHarmony Beta Carotene performed the best, containing the highest amount of the active ingredient compared to its competitors. Each capsule of this product contains a total of 25,000 IU (international unit) of beta carotene, which works as a very effective provitamin. In addition, our favourite also comes out very favourably in terms of price, which is why it had to come in first place.
Advantages:
- High content of the active ingredient
- Convenient price
- One pack will last you for more than half a year
About the manufacturer:
The VitaHarmony brand is responsible for one of the oldest (if not the oldest) purely Czech multivitamin. In 1991, the founder of the brand introduced the world to CentralVita, a 30-ingredient multivitamin. A few years later, the VitaHarmony brand itself saw the light of day. It managed to break through thanks to inspiration from overseas companies and subsequent cooperation with its sister company in the USA. The company offers vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, probiotic cultures, herbal teas and much more. You may have already come across some of them, for example in our comparison of the best antioxidants or in our ranking of the best B vitamins.
In one serving (1 capsule) you will find:
- 25,000 IU of beta carotene
As already written in the introduction, beta carotene from VitaHarmony is exceptional due to the really high content of the active ingredient in each capsule. This is also why you only need to take it once every two days. Only if you really sunbathe a lot (typically in summer or on holiday) is it then advisable to take one capsule a day.
Final assessment:
The combination of a high active ingredient content and a very reasonable price makes VitaHarmony's beta carotene a very effective way to replenish vitamin A levels in the body. In our opinion, it is a clear choice compared to the competition and we can therefore highly recommend this product to everyone.
The next place in our ranking of the best vitamins A was earned by Swanson. Its main advantage is its extremely low price, as it is the cheapest product in the entire ranking. Even so, it contains a really good dose of the active substance, and thanks to that it ranks among the top on the market.
Advantages:
- Extremely low price
- High active ingredient content
- One pack lasts up to 250 days
About the manufacturer:
Swanson Health Products began operations in 1969 in the United States. The founders set out to bring quality dietary supplements to the market to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle. In 2018, the company rebranded and has since then simply called itself Swanson. The company's repertoire now includes pet food and nutritional supplements. At MyFitnessio, you may have come across Swanson products in our comparison of the best vitamin D supplements or our ranking of the best probiotics.
In one serving (1 capsule) you will find:
- 10,000 IU of vitamin A
In this case, the manufacturer used cod liver oil and retinyl palmitate, the substance with the highest vitamin A content in the animal body, as the source of vitamin A. The manufacturer recommends taking one capsule per day, which corresponds to the lower limit of the recommended daily dose. However, given that some vitamin A is also taken in the diet, this is a perfectly adequate amount.
Final assessment:
Swanson's Vitamin A is a great way to supplement vitamin A quickly and effectively without spending a lot of money. Even with the extremely low price, it is a very good choice, especially for students or people who don't want to spend a lot of money on supplements. Despite the low price, it is a very high quality product.
The next place was taken by Beta Karoten from MedPharma. Its advantages include, as with the previous products, low price and high content of the active substance. In addition, it contains vitamin B5 and 4-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which supports the quality of hair and skin.
Benefits:
- Convenient price
- High active ingredient content
- Also contains PABA and vitamin B5
About the Manufacturer:
MedPharma is a Czech company that has been in the sports nutrition supplements market since 2000. It focuses on promoting human health, designing, developing, manufacturing, distributing and selling its supplements. In addition, however, the company's repertoire also includes cosmetic and medical products. You can find their products mainly in pharmacies, but gradually they are starting to appear in the offer of e-shops with sports nutrition. You may have also come across them in our comparison of the best vitamin C supplements or in our ranking of the best magnesium supplements
In one dose (1 tablet) you will find:
- 10 000 IU of beta carotene
- 10 mg PABA
- 10 mg of vitamin B5
MedPharma Beta Carotene is one of the few products in this category that also contains some additional added ingredients. Specifically, vitamin B5 and 4-aminobenzoic acid. The former helps fight fatigue, contributes to mentalhealth and contributes to the synthesis of steroid hormones, vitamin D and other substances. PABA, on the other hand, promotes the quality of hair and skin. Ultimately, therefore, it is an interesting combination of substances that together offer many health benefits.
Final assessment:
Beta Carotene from MedPharma is a reliable dietary supplement that will definitely help you increase the amount of vitamin A in your body. Unlike its competitors, it also contains two added substances, which makes its effect even stronger. Price-wise, it also performs very well and we can therefore highly recommend it.
Vitamin A from NOW belongs to the same category as the previous products. It contains an identical amount of the active substance, but lags behind the competition a little in terms of price. Although it still has a very good price-quality ratio, the higher price is a relatively big disadvantage compared to the other products.
Advantages:
- High-quality formulation
- Easy dosing
- The pack will last you for more than 3 months
Disadvantages:
- Slightly higher price than competitors
About the Manufacturer:
Now Foods' roots go back to the 1960s. Since then, the company has tried to use its products to pass on the values associated with a healthy lifestyle to people. The company's emphasis on premium quality is understandably a top priority. In addition to dietary supplements, the brand also produces beauty products, health foods and pet food. You may have come across Now Foods products in our ranking of the best supplements for sleep support or in our comparison of the best vitamin E supplements.
In one serving (1 capsule) you will find:
- 10,000 IU of beta carotene
Even in this case, there's not much to rate on the ingredients in any way. Beta carotene can very effectively and quickly increase the level of vitamin A in the body, and therefore it is one of the best active ingredients that a similar product can contain. Again, the manufacturer recommends a dosage of one capsule per day.
Final assessment:
If you are looking for a supplement that will reliably help you replenish vitamin A, beta carotene from NOW will definitely not disappoint you. But it's true that there are several cheaper alternatives on the market, so it's questionable whether buying it is really worth it. On the other hand, it's fair to say that vitamin A supplements are really cheap, so even in this case you won't actually pay an astronomical amount.
MedPharma has one more representative in our ranking. This time it is a product combining vitamins A and D. This product lags behind the competition in the content of the active ingredient, but it manages to compensate for this with a very pleasant price.
Advantages:
- Contains extra vitamin D3
- Very favourable price
- High quality composition
Disadvantages:
- Lower active ingredient content
In one dose (one tablet) you will find:
- 5 000 IU of vitamin A
- 10 mcg of vitamin D3
First of all, we must of course praise the vitamin D content, which means many important benefits for the human body. You can read about the benefits of vitamin D in our ranking of the best vitamin D supplements. When it comes to vitamin A content, words of praise are already a bit out of place. In fact, MedPharma Vitamin A + D contains only half the amount of A compared to most of the competition. One tablet does not even contain the lower limit of the recommended daily dose, which is not exactly ideal.
Final assessment:
MedPharma Vitamin A + D is an interesting combination of two really important vitamins to pay attention to. It can certainly be interesting thanks to its surprisingly low price, which is always a big plus. However, in terms of active ingredient content, it is still quite behind the competition. For this reason, it is also relatively low in our ranking.
Beta-carotene Complex from Viridian also earned its place in our ranking. It differs from its competitors mainly in the content of a total of five different active ingredients, but also in price. While the content of various other carotenoids is a positive differentiation from other products, the exorbitant price has rather the opposite effect. And in this case, the positive effect is outweighed by quite a lot.
Advantages:
- Contains up to five active ingredients
- High processing quality
- Suitable for vegans
Disadvantages:
- Really high price
About the manufacturer:
The British company Viridian Nutrition specializes in the production of so-called ethical vitamins. All of this manufacturer's products are 100% bioactive and do not contain genetically engineered substances. In addition, they are kept in capsules of exclusively vegetable origin, which do not contain any additives. The company prides itself on the purity of its products, environmental friendliness and helping charity. You may have already come across the Viridian brand in our comparison of the best digestive enzymes or in our ranking of the best nootropics.
In one serving (1 capsule) you will find:
- 15 mg of beta carotene
- 117 µg of cryptoxanthin
- 474 µg of alpha carotene
- 96 µg zeaxanthin
- 75 µg lutein
Beta-Carotene Complex contains a total of 5 carotenoids, which together offer a truly powerful effect. In addition, they also act as antioxidants, support eye health and so on. We must also praise the high content of beta carotene, which supports the production of vitamin A in the human body very quickly and effectively. We rate the composition of the product as a whole really positively and have nothing to complain about in this regard.
Final assessment:
After the words of praise for the composition, however, there must also come criticism towards the price. The Viridian brand is known for selling really expensive supplements, which on the other hand guarantee really high quality. The higher price is understandable given the content of many substances, but in this case it is several times the price of other products. For this reason, too, many more suitable alternatives can be found on the market.
Our ranking is closed by GreenFood Lutein + Vitamin A. However, this product contains vitamin E in addition to lutein and vitamin A, so there are a total of 3 active ingredients. However, its disadvantage is its relatively high price and also its low vitamin A content.
Advantages:
- Contains a total of 3 active ingredients
- Also suitable for vegans
Disadvantages:
- Higher price
- Low vitamin A content
About the manufacturer:
A family-owned Czech company operating in the sports nutrition market for over 25 years. That's how you could quickly describe the GreenFood brand. Among the company's main priorities is the production of quality supplements using premium natural ingredients. That's why you won't find preservatives, chemical dyes, stabilizers or added sugar in GreenFood products. You may have already come across GreenFood products in our ranking of the best chlorella products or in our comparison of the best collagens.
In one serving (1 capsule) you will find:
- 1,300 IU of vitamin A
- 25 mg of lutein
- 10 mg of vitamin E
Right at the beginning we have to point out one important thing. The presence of vitamin E and vitamin A in one supplement may sound nice on paper, but in practice these vitamins impair the absorption of each other. It is therefore quite surprising that the manufacturer decided to rely on this combination. As far as the content of vitamin A itself is concerned, it is not a miracle. In fact, in the vast majority of competing products you will find several times that amount.
Final assessment:
GreenFood Lutein + Vitamin A is a product that looks good on paper, but in practice it doesn't work so well. It still helps you to supplement the necessary vitamin A, but you can definitely find more effective and cheaper supplements on the market. As a result, we had to place this product at the very bottom of our ranking.
What is vitamin A?
Vitamin A belongs to the group of so-called lipophilic vitamins, which are characterized by the fact that they dissolve in fat. In addition to vitamin A, this group includes vitamins D, E and K, which can be memorised by the well-known mnemonic device of the word ass (but don't look for vitamin Z anywhere). What do these vitamins have in common? Their properties derive primarily from the fact that they are not water soluble, so the body does not excrete them in the urine, but instead stores them in fatty tissue. In fact, vitamin A itself stands for a whole group of substances: retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. However, in connection with them, it is necessary to mention also provitamins, especially carotenoids (about them in a moment), from which the body can make vitamin A itself.
What role does vitamin A play in the human body?
Everyone has probably heard that vitamin A is good for your eyesight. It really is. In fact, retinal, along with a protein, forms the visual pigment rhodopsin, which is responsible for sending nerve signals from the eye. It is therefore absolutely essential for vision. Another very important benefit of vitamin A is its antioxidant effect. In fact, it is one of the most important antioxidants in the human bodyso it effectively protects cells from the effects of free radicals. Among other things, vitamin A is also important for supporting the immune system because it promotes the production of t-lymphocytes, a specific type of white blood cell. Last but not least, it supports the health of the skin, the reproductive organs of women and men, and also contributes to the proper development of children.
Fortunately, vitamin A deficiency is not very common in our conditions. It can mainly affect people with fat absorption disorders (typically celiac disease) and is widespread especially in developing countries. The most common manifestations include eye disorders, weakened immunity, dry skin, weak hair or dry mouth. In the long term, vitamin A deficiency can be a seriousserious health complications and, in most cases, life-threatening. But again, this is particularly the case in developing countries.
What forms of vitamin A are there?
In the introductory paragraph, the importance of provitamins, especially carotenoids, was mentioned. What are these substances? A typical representative of carotenoids is beta-carotene, which is also present in many vitamin A supplements instead of retinol. The body is able to make vitamin A itself. So, although it is not actually vitamin A per se, its intake effectively increases vitamin A levels in the body. Due to its rapid conversion into vitamin A, beta carotene is very popular in the supplements mentioned above.
Natural sources of vitamin A
Vitamin A is commonly found in a large number of foods. Among the richest sources of vitamin A are liver (mainly beef, but also chicken and others), sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, egg yolks, vegetables, milk and papaya. The high beta carotene content of vegetables often gives away the red colouration. This is also why it is recommended to eat red vegetables in the summer months, as beta carotene promotes an even tan.
How much vitamin A should I take per day?
The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A varies depending on the form in which the body receives the vitamin. However, most studies agree on an amount of 10,000 IU to 25,000 IU per day. The advantage of fat-soluble vitamins is that they do not need to be supplemented on a daily basis. So if you supplement vitamin A with a dietary supplement with too high an active ingredient, you can dose it, for example, on a daily basis. The body stores the excess vitamin A and uses it when needed.
Risks associated with vitamin A overdose
While storing vitamins in fat is an advantage in some cases, it can be quite dangerous in others. This is because the body cannot effectively eliminate excess vitamins. As a result, excess intake of vitamin A can lead to some health complications. Examples include vomiting, food aversion, diarrhea, insomnia and so on. However, these symptoms usually occur only after prolonged use of really high doses of vitamin A. A specific manifestation of beta carotene excess is so-called carotenemia. This manifests itself as a yellow discolouration of the skin because the body is unable to convert all the beta carotene into vitamin A.
If you have any questions about vitamin A supplementation, please feel free to contact us in the comments.
Sources
- https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitam%C3%ADn_A
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-a-benefits
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10637381/
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