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In this guide, vitamin A refers specifically to retinyl palmitate — the type of vitamin A in Dr. Green Mom’s Mega Vitamin A supplement.
We will discuss daily dosing as well as high dose, also known as a megadose, of vitamin A, which can promote a strong anti-viral immune response. [1-12] While megadosing can be an effective treatment strategy, the body stores vitamin A, which means that high doses, over time, can become toxic. [6]
Please note that megadosing is not designed to be combined with regular supplementation beyond food sources. Either have your child supplement daily with a lower dose of vitamin A (cod liver oil or beef liver capsules, for example) or give them a megadose.
This guide is designed to help facilitate a conversation with your healthcare provider, particularly if you are going to megadose. Informed discussions with your healthcare provider will help you determine the dosing schedule that makes the most sense for your child.
When giving a daily dose to yourself or your child, consider the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) values. The RDA is determined to prevent deficiency in 97% of the population.
The FDA requires vitamin A amounts to be listed in mcg RAE, a standard unit that reflects how much vitamin A the body can absorb and use.
RDA for Vitamin A
Products with Vitamin A
Both
1500 mcg RAE (~5000 IU) per drop
540 mcg RAE (~1800 IU) per serving
Children
300 mcg RAE (~1000 IU) per scoop
4 capsules of Grass Fed & Finished Beef Liver = ⅓ oz of fresh liver.
According to the USDA data table, ⅓ oz of beef liver contains approximately 450-550 mcg RAE of vitamin A. Beef liver is a natural, unrefined product that will have fluctuations in vitamin A content.
In this guide, we will outline three vitamin A megadosing protocols. There is no one right way to megadose, and all of these strategies yieldpositive results. Your healthcare provider can best advise you.
The dosing model most recommended for pediatric viral infections. Based on geographic regions with higher rates of Vitamin A deficiency. [13]
The conventional recommendations are based on populations in geographic regions with a high risk of nutritional deficiencies. As nutritional deficiencies are less common in U.S. children, Dr. Green Mom recommends ½ dosing of the conventional recommendations.
The Japanese have very few nutritional deficiencies, so their vitamin A research can be applied to the North American population. [5]
One drop of Mega Vitamin A has 1500 mcg RAE (~4995 IU) of vitamin A palmitate (retinyl palmitate).
Mega Vitamin A contains NO artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Given the near-toxic acute dosing levels, if you follow the WHO or Japan Study megadose guidelines (see charts), discontinue daily vitamin A supplementation for two to three months, unless otherwise directed by your physician.
The Dr. Green Mom megadose guidelines are lower than the other two strategies’, making it safer to resume daily dosing right away while still maintaining a protective level of vitamin A.
Keep in mind that most children taking a daily dose of vitamin A will already have adequate stores and will not need to megadose unless recommended by a physician.
Always consult your child’s physician.
Vitamin A can help your child mount an effective immune response at the time of vaccination. It plays a key role in strengthening the mucosal barriers of the gut, mouth, nose, and respiratory tract. Vitamin A supports the growth and differentiation of immune cells — factors essential for optimizing vaccine effectiveness. [14, 15]If you’re choosing to vaccinate, make it count.
There are two main categories of vaccines: live attenuated and non-live (inactivated or subunit) vaccines.
Live attenuated vaccines use weakened viruses that replicate just enough to trigger an immune response and antibody production—without causing disease. In the routine schedule, live vaccines include:
When giving a live vaccine, select one of the age-appropriate vitamin A dosing strategies listed above. Administer a single megadose either the day before or the morning of the vaccination. Any of the recommended strategies will support the desired immune response.
Space megadoses 2-3 months apart. Follow this guideline if you have vaccines booked close together and avoid megadosing repeatedly in a short span of time.
For all other vaccines (non-live), give four drops 6000 mcg RAE (20,000 IU) of liquid vitamin A the day before vaccination to support immune readiness.This dose of vitamin A does not need to be spaced months apart, if you have a few non-live vaccines booked in a row you can use this dosing for each one. It is only the megadose that needs to be spaced 2-3 months apart.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning the body can store any excess. These stored reserves are beneficial, but if intake is too high, vitamin A can build up and cause toxicity.
Toxicity is a common concern for parents. It’s important to clarify that we are not talking about beta carotene—the plant-based precursor to vitamin A. The body only converts beta carotene into active vitamin A (retinol) when it needs it, so there is no risk of toxicity from beta carotene.
Retinyl palmitate, the form of vitamin A used in our supplement, is preformed vitamin A, which the body can store directly. In this case, toxicity is possible if doses are too high.
Acute toxicity (a very large single serving): 7500 mcg RAE or 25,000 IU per kg body weight or more.
Chronic toxicity (high intake over weeks to months): 1200 mcg RAE or 4000 IU per kg body weight daily for 6 15 months.
Acute (large one-time dose, often accidental ingestion):
Chronic (excess over weeks/months):
In North America, where vitamin A deficiency is rare, do not supplement beyond your prenatal vitamin without express consent from your physician. Excess vitamin A has been linked to teratogenicity (congenital disabilities).
If you’ve been taking vitamin A supplements and discover you are pregnant, it’s best to stop right away. Research shows that doses above 3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU) daily are linked with an increased risk of congenital disabilities—about 1 in 57 babies. [17] The good news is that most over-the-counter vitamin A supplements contain much lower amounts, so the likelihood of harm is negligible. The most important step is to discontinue use as soon as you know you’re pregnant.
Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Dosing Vitamin A
Breast milk can have the perfect amount of vitamin A for your baby, but if the mother is deficient, the baby will not get enough. [18, 19]
Vitamin A can help your child mount a more effective immune response at the time of vaccination. It plays a key role in strengthening the mucosal barriers of the gut, mouth, nose, and respiratory tract. Vitamin A supports the growth and differentiation of immune cells — factors essential for optimizing vaccine effectiveness. Vitamin A also supports healthy vision and lowers infant and childhood mortality. [14, 15]Since Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which is stored in the body, high-dose Vitamin A may cause toxicity. A large, acute, or one-time dose may cause nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, irritability, bulging fontanelles in infants, and headaches. A chronic toxicity, Vitamin A taken in excess over weeks/months may cause slowed growth, bone pain, increased fracture risk, liver enlargement or damage, dry itchy skin, cracked lips, hair loss, irritability, fatigue, and poor weight gain. [6,15]
Yes, your infant can safely receive both dietary and supplemental vitamin A but only when the total intake stays within safe limits. Follow the RDA guidelines and consult your healthcare provider to ensure your infant receives the appropriate amount.
Speak to your doctor if your infant spits up a megadose of Vitamin A. You will want to assess how much was retained.
If an infant receives an extra (duplicate) megadose of Vitamin A, especially within a short time frame, you should contact your healthcare provider or local poison control center immediately to determine if monitoring or treatment is needed. Since Vitamin A is fat-soluble and stored in the body, an excess amount can lead to toxicity.
Work with your healthcare provider and choose the Vitamin A megadosing protocol that works best for you and your family. Choose from one of the three options below:
Yes, if you start a high-dose vitamin A regimen and have concerns, you should absolutely discuss them with your healthcare provider, and you can stop at any time.
If the dose was already given, it can’t be undone, but future doses can be reassessed or postponed based on your child’s health, nutritional status, and risk factors.
If you miss a vitamin A dose on a two-day schedule, simply dose the next day.
Both megadosing and daily dosing of vitamin A are safe and effective strategies to help your family manage viral infections or optimize vaccination. [1-12, 14, 15] Vitamin A can be stored in the body, and therefore, one must be mindful of its toxicity. [6, 15] This is why we adopt a structured dosing plan, whether your child is megadosing or daily dosing, also taking into account vitamin A from all sources – foods like liver to supplements like our Mega Vitamin A. Megadosing is done 1-2 times, spaced at least 3 months apart. Using the charts above and your healthcare provider’s guidance, you can select a dosing strategy that works for your child without concern for their well-being.
Thank you for purchasing Mega Vitamin A!
Our purpose at Dr. Green Life is simple: to provide ethically sourced, high quality, and affordable products to families wanting to live life the way nature intended. We offer superior customer service and a promise to never compromise on product ingredients. We hope to become your family’s #1 source of healthcare products!
When you get a shipment from Dr. Green Life™, you can be certain that what’s on the label is what’s inside! We test 100% of the ingredients that come into our manufacturing facility. Then we test each formulation and finished product before we ship it to ensure that it remains pure, potent, and stable. Our manufacturer’s scientists use more than a dozen different tests to evaluate ingredients and products, including:
At Dr. Green Life™, we take pride in the quality of our products. Our children deserve the highest quality and purest ingredients available. Our herbal ingredients come from small organic farmers and ethical wild harvesters to ensure potency and purity. We believe in our products and fully stand behind them from start to finish.
We are committed to ingredient integrity, ethical sourcing, and never compromising on what goes into our formulations — because your family deserves the same level of care we expect for our own.
This content is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any supplement program.
✝︎ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
