What can you say about vitamin A in your ads and on your site?

The library supports 4 wordings for vitamin A; the strongest is “Supports normal vision” (strong, 120-3,000 µg RAE a day). Avoid wording that names or implies a disease, a drug or a treatment, such as “Clears acne, or works like isotretinoin (Accutane)”.

Also called: Retinol

Reviewed 15 October 2026

Not legal advice. This guide shows the wording that published evidence supports at a daily dose, from the sources linked below; it is not a ruling on any claim. Your own product, its form and dose, and your own evidence still need to match the wording you use.

Supported wordings

What you can say.

Strong evidenceWording 1

Claims Facts

“Supports normal vision.”

Daily dose	120-3,000 µg RAE a day
Support	Listed by Health Canada and authorized in the EU after EFSA review.
Dose details	Adults 19 and older. Health Canada: 65 µg RAE up to about 3,000 µg RAE a day (the maximum differs slightly by source ingredient). EU: at least 120 µg, 15% of the 800 µg EU reference value (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII). ODS upper limit for preformed vitamin A: 3,000 µg RAE.
Form	Preformed vitamin A (retinol or its esters), counted in µg RAE
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplements Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims

Strong evidenceWording 2

Claims Facts

“Helps maintain normal skin and mucous membranes.”

Daily dose	120-3,000 µg RAE a day
Support	Listed by Health Canada and authorized in the EU after EFSA review.
Dose details	Adults 19 and older. Health Canada: 65 µg RAE up to about 3,000 µg RAE a day (the maximum differs slightly by source ingredient). EU: at least 120 µg, 15% of the 800 µg EU reference value (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII). ODS upper limit for preformed vitamin A: 3,000 µg RAE.
Form	Preformed vitamin A (retinol or its esters), counted in µg RAE
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplements Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims

Strong evidenceWording 3

Claims Facts

“Supports normal immune function.”

Daily dose	120-3,000 µg RAE a day
Support	Listed by Health Canada and authorized in the EU after EFSA review.
Dose details	Adults 19 and older. Health Canada: 65 µg RAE up to about 3,000 µg RAE a day (the maximum differs slightly by source ingredient). EU: at least 120 µg, 15% of the 800 µg EU reference value (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII). ODS upper limit for preformed vitamin A: 3,000 µg RAE.
Form	Preformed vitamin A (retinol or its esters), counted in µg RAE
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplements Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims

Strong evidenceWording 4

Claims Facts

“Supports normal iron metabolism.”

Daily dose	120-3,000 µg RAE a day
Support	Listed by Health Canada and authorized in the EU after EFSA review.
Dose details	Adults 19 and older. Health Canada: 65 µg RAE up to about 3,000 µg RAE a day (the maximum differs slightly by source ingredient). EU: at least 120 µg, 15% of the 800 µg EU reference value (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII). ODS upper limit for preformed vitamin A: 3,000 µg RAE.
Form	Preformed vitamin A (retinol or its esters), counted in µg RAE
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplements Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims

How strong the evidence is

Strong evidence: At least two listed sources support it independently at a comparable dose and form, and none disagrees.
Moderate evidence: One listed source supports it as an evidence-based use at that dose, and no listed source disagrees.
Limited evidence: The only support is traditional use, the sources disagree, or the source itself calls the evidence weak.

Wordings to avoid

What to leave out.

Claims Facts

Ingredient: Vitamin A

Wording to avoid	Reason
“Clears acne, or works like isotretinoin (Accutane)”Names a drug, and acne is a disease.	Drug
“Treats macular degeneration or other eye disease”Names diseases.	Disease
“Fights infections”Implies treating infections, which are diseases.	Disease

Disease: names or implies a disease. Drug: names a drug or presents the product as one. Treatment: promises to treat, cure or prevent a condition.

Sources

Where this comes from.

All ingredient guides

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