Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin your body needs for vision, immune function, and skin health. It comes in two forms: preformed vitamin A (retinol) from animal foods and provitamin A carotenoids (like beta carotene) from plants.
Take it with a meal that contains fat to help absorption. Many people use it at doses near the recommended dietary allowance.
Smokers and people exposed to asbestos should avoid high dose beta carotene supplements because of an increased lung cancer risk. Pregnant individuals should avoid high doses of preformed vitamin A (retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate) due to a risk of birth defects.