How much Vitamin A (Retinol) is too much for adults, children, and acne? In this article, you will learn more about the recommended vitamin dosage for acne in both adults and infants.
Is Retinol safe for pregnancy? Well, all these will be answered in the article below.
Vitamin A Dosage for Adults
Vitamin A is usually packaged in capsules of 15,000, 8,000, 10,000, and 25,000 international units (IU). Also, it is included in some multivitamins.
On how much vitamin A an individual should take, we are usually advised to visit the website of the National Institute of Health for appropriate guidelines.
At this site, professionals have come up with the proper amount of Vitamin A that an individual is expected to take in a day.
The amount is usually prepared based on the age, condition, and gender of an individual. Therefore, you should be struggling with calculations on what amount of Vitamin A to consume.
However, just note that the tolerable upper level of A for both women and men aged 18 years and above is 3,000 micrograms or 10,000 IU per day.
Vitamin A Dosage for Acne
Acne can be very irritating, and sometimes it can force you to abscond from your daily duties including meetings.
Well, as everyone is trying to figure out the correct cure that will help treat acne within a few days or hours, there are discoveries about the use of vitamin A.
Vitamin A can be quite effective in treating acne, especially when taken in higher doses. By higher doses I mean 50,000 to 100,000 IU in a day.
Several users who have successfully treated acne using vitamin A can attest that indeed this is an excellent way of treating acne.
In fact, if you are aware of the drug, Accutane, it is usually made of higher doses of vitamin A. That is why most people call it an at-acne because those who have used have successfully healed their acne.
Nevertheless, it is always important that you consult a physician before consuming excessive vitamin A, some skins are too sensitive. Therefore, instead of healing you, it could worsen your situation.
Vitamin A Dosage for Infants, Children & Kids
For infants, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) levels for children are as follows:
- One to three years old – 300 mcg or 1,000 units per day
- Four to eight years old – 400mcg or 1,300 units per day
- Nine to thirteen years old – 600 mcg or 2,000 units per day
- Male children, 14 years and above – 900 mcg or 3,000 units per day
- Females aged 14 years and above – 700 mcg or 2,500 units per day
The Tolerable Upper intake units for infants have also been established:
- Children up to 3 years old – 600 mcg or 2,000 units per day
- Children between 4 to 8 years old – 900 mcg or 3,000 units per day
- Children between 9 to 13 years old – 1700 mcg or 6,000 units per day
- Those aged between 14 to 18 years old – 2800 mcg or 9,000 units per day
Vitamin A safety dosage in Pregnancy
When women are pregnant, they are usually to be careful with anything they take into their bodies. At that time, they are usually at risk of developing complications, and anything consumable can induce those complications.
For pregnant ones, the safe Vitamin A dosages are as follows:
- Fourteen to eighteen years old pregnant women – 2,000 mcg or 9000 units per day
- For those pregnant women who are 19 years and above – 3,000 mcg or 10,000 units per day
Attention! If you are pregnant, kindly make sure you adhere to these dosages! Ignoring these recommendations could not only affect you but also your unborn babies.
READ MORE: Vitamin A overdose symptoms and treatment.
The dosage of Vitamin A for Measles
Measles is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality across the globe. Lack of enough vitamin A is usually recognized as the primary risk factor for severe measles.
In order to stop deaths caused by measles, several studies have been done stop to establish the exact amount of vitamin A an individual should consume to treat the disease.
It is through these studies that the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that:
- A child suffering from measles should be given an oral dose of 100,000 IU of Vitamin A per day until the conditions disappear. Usually, after consuming Vitamin A, a child is expected to be well on the third day.
- Therefore, you will give the infant a dose of 200,000 IU for two days.
Vitamin A Overdose Treatment
A higher intake of Vitamin A can be very toxic to you. In case you consume too much Vitamin A ensure that you visit the nearest healthcare facility for help.
Alternatively, you can contact the emergency center through 911 or the poison control unit at 800-222-1222 immediately.
Any of these two groups will either advise you on what to do or come to your place and other their relevant assistance from your place.
Vitamin A Dose Schedule
Given that Vitamin A can be stored in the liver for long period, we are advised to take higher doses of this vitamin after every 4 to 6 months.
That will help you prevent the possibility of developing deficiencies, which could result in serious health issues such as measles and other malnutrition conditions.
For infants, parents or guardians are always advised to consult the doctors on the schedule of vitamin A dose.
The doctors will examine the child’s health condition and establish the schedule, which then as a parent you are advised to follow faithfully.
Failing to adhere to the correct schedule could have serious implications for your child. Therefore, protect your children by ensuring that you administer the correct Vitamin A doses as per the schedule provided by the doctor.
References for Vitamin A Dosage
- 1: Vitamin A supplementation in infants and children 6–59 months of age
- 2: Vitamin A: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and warning
- 3: Vitamin A (Retinol) – Side Effects, Dosage, Interactions
- 4: Vitamin A for treating measles in children
READ: Does Vitamin A help in Energy Metabolism?
