Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body stores for later use, so you do not need it every day. It comes in two broad types. Preformed vitamin A, also called retinol, is found in animal foods such as cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yoghurt and liver. Provitamin A carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene, come from yellow, red and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers, and from yellow fruit such as mango, papaya and apricots. The body converts beta-carotene into retinol as it needs it.

Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and normal skin, and to the normal function of the immune system. It helps with vision in dim light and keeps the lining of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy.

On supplement labels you will usually see retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate, which are preformed vitamin A, or beta-carotene. Some products use a mix of both. Amounts are given in micrograms (µg), sometimes as retinol equivalents. Because preformed vitamin A builds up in the body, it is worth adding up what you get from every supplement you take, including fish liver oils.