Last updated on 7-7-2025 by Thérésa Lebacq
Why do we study vitamin A intake?
- Vitamin A refers to a fat-soluble family of chemically related compounds, which exert the same activity as retinol. Their activity is expressed as retinol equivalents (RE). They play a key role in vision and eye health, especially in night vision. Additionally, they are involved in growth and development, immunity, cell differentiation and skin health.
- Fat is found in both plant- and animal-based products, including oils, butter, dairy products, nuts, seeds, meat and fish.
- Vitamin A can be obtained from foods of animal or plant origin. Foods of animal origin contain active forms of vitamin A, namely retinol or its esters. Important animal sources of vitamin A include liver, fish oil, eggs, dairy and fatty fish. Plants contain carotenoids, of which β- and α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin are precursors to vitamin A. These are found in green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin and yellow and orange fruits like mango. Fortified products present an additional source of vitamin A in the diet. All margarines are also a source of retinol, because of obligatory fortification.
- Because the body converts carotenoids to retinol less efficiently than it absorbs preformed vitamin A, conversion factors are used to calculate total vitamin A intake in retinol equivalents (RE). 6 µg β-carotene = 1 µg RE.
- Consuming insufficient foods rich in vitamin A, increases the risk of deficiency. An inadequate intake in the short term will be compensated by the body’s storage, but a chronic deficiency can lead to decreased immune function and loss of night vision, in extreme cases.
- The Belgian Superior Health Council considers that a healthy and varied diet supplies sufficient vitamin A, without risk of overconsumption. Given the low risk of deficiency, the SHC advises that supplements for persons who risk a vitamin A deficiency do not contain more than the recommended daily intake, which is 750 µg RE/day for adult men and 650, 700 and 1350 µg RE/day for adult women, pregnant women and breastfeeding women, respectively.
- Overconsumption of vitamin A can be harmful. Vitamin A supplements are widely available over the counter in Belgium, raising concerns about potential overuse. Additionally, liver and derived products, such as liver pâté, contain very high levels. Excessive intake of Vitamin A can lead to liver damage, neurotoxicity and alopecia. Excessive intake is especially dangerous for pregnant women, because of teratogenicity. Therefore, it is essential to monitor supplement intake to ensure both sufficiency and safety.
How do we study it?
- Inadequate vitamin A intake from food or from food and supplements was assessed by comparing the habitual vitamin A intake of the population with the reference values set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): between 205 and 320 µg RE/day for children depending on age, between 480 and 580 µg RE/day for adolescents depending on age and sex, and 490 and 570 µg RE/day for adult women and men, respectively.
- The prevalence of excessive vitamin A intake from food or from food and supplements was estimated as the proportion of the population with habitual vitamin A intake above the safety reference values (defined as upper intake level (UL)) set by EFSA: between 800 and 1500 µg RE/day for children depending on age, between 2000 and 2600 µg RE/day for adolescents depending on age and 3000 µg RE/day for adults.T
- Habitual intake of vitamin A was analysed using the SPADE® program. A detailed description on the methodology for deriving the habitual vitamin A intake, the type of the reference values used and the age-specific values of these references can be found here.
- Due to statistical limitations, the results of vitamin A cannot be presented by educational level.
KEY RESULTS
Mean vitamin A intake in the population from food only is 695 µg RE/day and increases to 717 µg RE/day when food and supplements are taken into account
0.6% of the Belgian population is at risk for excessive vitamin A intake from food and supplements
The mean vitamin A intake from food decreased from 847 µg RE/day in 2014-2015 to 686 µg RE/day in 2022-2023
Vegetables and dairy products and their substitutes contribute most to the vitamin A intake (both on average 25%)
Vitamin A containing supplements contribute 3% to the total vitamin A intake
Proportion of the population consuming a vitamin A-containing supplement
16% of the population in Belgium aged 3 years and older uses a vitamin A-containing supplement.
By sex
Mean vitamin A intake (µg RE/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean vitamin A intake in the population from food only is 695 µg RE/day and raises to 717 µg RE/day when food and supplements are taken into account.
- Men have a higher mean vitamin A intake from food (756 µg RE/day) compared to women (635 µg RE/day). When including supplements, this difference remains, with mean intakes of 774 µg RE/day and 661 µg RE/day for men and women, respectively.
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older with inadequate vitamin A intake, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Results are based on dietary reference values defined as average requirement (AR).
- 30% of the population have an inadequate intake of vitamin A from food. This proportion decreases to 28% when food and supplements are considered. The same applies to both men and women, as their risk levels are consistent with those of the overall population.
Excessive vitamin A intake the population aged 3 years and older, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- 0.5% of the Belgian population has an excessive vitamin A intake from food only. When the vitamin A intake from supplement is also taken into account, 0.6% of the population has an excessive vitamin A intake.
- More men than women have an excessive vitamin A intake, however, given the uncertainties around these values, it is not possible to conclude whether or not these proportions differ.
By age
Mean vitamin A intake (µg RE/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- Mean vitamin A intake increases with age. Children (573 µg RE/day) and adolescents (622 µg RE/day) have a lower intake than adults aged 18-64 years (722 µg RE/day) and adults 65 years and above (728 µg RE/day).
- When food and supplements are taken into consideration, this pattern remains, with mean vitamin A intakes of 596 µg RE/day, 636 µg RE/day, 745 µg RE/day and 752 µg RE/day for children, adolescents, adults aged 18-64 years and older adults, respectively.
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older with inadequate vitamin A intake, by age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Results are based on dietary reference values defined as average requirement (AR).
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- The proportion of people with an inadequate vitamin A intake from food is highest in adolescents (38%), followed by adults aged 18-64 years (31%) and older adults (29%). Children have the lowest risk of inadequate vitamin A intake from food (11%). The pattern remains when food and supplements are taken into account, with decreases of approximately 1 percentage point being recorded when compared to intake from food only.
Excessive vitamin A intake the population aged 3 years and older, by age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- The proportion of the population with an excessive vitamin A intake from food only is highest in children (4.3%). This proportion is 0.3% in adolescents and close to null in all adults.
- This pattern remains when food and supplements are taken into account, with 5.3% of children and 0.4% of adolescents having an excessive vitamin A. For all adults, this proportion remains close to null.
By region
Mean vitamin A intake (µg RE/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The mean vitamin A intake from food is 695 µg RE/day in the Belgian population. No regional differences are observed, as the intakes in Flanders and Wallonia are consistent with those of the general population.
- When supplements are taken into account, mean vitamin A intake becomes 717 µg RE/day for the whole population, with no regional differences observed.
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older with inadequate vitamin A intake, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Results are based on dietary reference values defined as average requirement (AR).
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The proportion of people with an excessive intake of vitamin A is 30% in the whole population. This proportion is slightly higher in Flanders (32%), compared to in Wallonia (29%). However, given the uncertainties around these values, it is not possible to conclude whether or not these proportion differ.
- When both food and supplements are considered, this pattern remains the same, with an approximately two percent point decrease for both regions.
By year
Mean vitamin A intake (µg RE/day) in the population aged 3 to 64 years, by year, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Adults aged 65 years and older are not included as they were not part of the target population of the 2014-2015 survey.
- The mean vitamin A intake from food decreased from 847 µg RE/day in 2014 to 686 µg RE/day in 2022.
- The mean vitamin A intake from food and supplements was 883 µg RE/day in 2014 and decreased to 708 µg RE/day in 2022.
Proportion of the population aged 3 to 64 years with inadequate vitamin A intake, by year, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Results are based on dietary reference values defined as average requirement (AR).
- Adults aged 65 years and older are not included as they were not part of the target population of the 2014-2015 survey.
- The proportion of the Belgian population with an inadequate intake of vitamin A from food only increased from 24% in 2014 to 30% in 2022.
- When intake from food and supplements is considered, this pattern remains the same, with a two percentage point decrease recorded for both survey years.
Excessive vitamin A intake the population aged 3 to 64 years, by year, Belgium: 2022-2023
- The proportion of the Belgian population with an excessive intake of vitamin A from food only decreased from 1.8% to 0.6% from 2014 to 2022.
- When considering intake from food and supplements, 2.1% of the population was at risk for an excessive intake in 2014, compared to 0.8% in 2022.
Contribution of food and supplements
Contribution of foods and supplements to vitamin A intake, in the population aged 3 years and older, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Vegetables and dairy products and their substitutes are the main contributors to vitamin A intake, each providing around 25%. They are followed by fats and oils (14%), meat, meat products and substitutes and cakes and sweet biscuits (both 8%). Dietary supplements contribute on average 3% to vitamin A intake.
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Micronutrients : Vitamin A, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, June 2025, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/micronutrients-vitamins/vitamin-a