Top 10 Foods Highest in Alpha-Carotene
Alpha-Carotene is a precursor to creating vitamin A in the body, and while important, is far less common than beta-carotene.
Like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene is fat-soluble and therefore needs to be consumed with fat to be absorbed.
For every 24mcg of alpha-carotene you consume, you create 1mcg of vitamin A retinol activity equivalents (RAE). (1) The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is 900mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAEs). While it would be unlikely to attain all your vitamin A from alpha-carotene, we calculate the daily intake target of alpha-carotene to be 24 times the amount of vitamin A (per the conversion to retinol equivalents). Thus the recommended dietary allowance for alpha-carotene is 900mcg x 24 or 21600mcg per day.
Again, you do not actually have to worry about meeting the RDA as beta-carotene, and vitamin A both contribute to the RDA, and the calculated RDA is intended as a guide to compare foods.
Foods high in alpha-carotene include orange vegetables like pumpkin, carrots, and winter squash. Other alpha-carotene food sources include tangerines, tomatoes, collards, napa cabbage, sweet potatoes, avocados, and bananas. Below are the top 10 foods highest in alpha-carotene, for more, see the nutrient ranking of foods high in alpha-carotene.
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1. Pumpkin
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories6652mcg
(31% DV)2715mcg
(13% DV)27150mcg
(126% DV) -
2. Carrots
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories5891mcg
(27% DV)3776mcg
(17% DV)21577mcg
(100% DV) -
3. Butternut Squash
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories2317mcg
(11% DV)1130mcg
(5% DV)5650mcg
(26% DV) -
4. Tangerines
Alpha-carotene
per CupAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories197mcg
(1% DV)101mcg
(0% DV)381mcg
(2% DV) -
5. Tomatoes
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories150mcg
(1% DV)101mcg
(0% DV)1122mcg
(5% DV) -
6. Collard Greens
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories129mcg
(1% DV)68mcg
(0% DV)412mcg
(2% DV) -
7. Napa Cabbage
Alpha-carotene
per Cup CookedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories53mcg
(0% DV)49mcg
(0% DV)817mcg
(4% DV) -
8. Sweet Potato
Alpha-carotene
per Cup BakedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories49mcg
(0% DV)43mcg
(0% DV)96mcg
(0% DV) -
9. Avocados
Alpha-carotene
per AvocadoAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories48mcg
(0% DV)24mcg
(0% DV)30mcg
(0% DV) -
10. Bananas
Alpha-carotene
per Cup SlicedAlpha-carotene
per 100gAlpha-carotene
per 200 Calories38mcg
(0% DV)25mcg
(0% DV)56mcg
(0% DV)
About the Data
Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.
About Nutrient Targets
Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.
Some of the most popular targets include:- Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
- Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
- Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.
See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.
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Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.
- Foods High in Alpha Carotene
- Foods Low in Alpha Carotene
- Vegetables High in Alpha Carotene
- Fruits High in Alpha Carotene
- Vegetarian Foods High in Alpha Carotene
- Breakfast Cereals High in Alpha Carotene
- Fast Foods High in Alpha Carotene
View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
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Data Sources and References
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