Beta-Carotene vs. Retinyl Palmitate
Among 6,056 on-market vitamin a products with an identifiable primary form, 63.3% use Beta-Carotene (3,833 products) and 26.5% use Retinyl Palmitate (1,604).
| Beta-Carotene | Retinyl Palmitate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Tier 1 |
| Vitamin A by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 63.3% | 26.5% |
| On-market products | 3,833 | 1,604 |
| Median declared dose | 1,050 mcg RAE middle half: 600–1,801.6 | 720 mcg RAE middle half: 368.13–1,350 |
| Most common brands | Centrum, New Chapter, Douglas Laboratories | vitafusion, DC, L'il Critters |
Doses are declared per serving in mcg RAE. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Beta-Carotene is tier 2
Requires enzymatic intestinal conversion to retinol, with conversion efficiency that varies between individuals; the current NIH ODS ratios are 12:1 for dietary beta-carotene and 2:1 for supplemental beta-carotene. High-dose supplemental beta-carotene (20-30mg/day) also increased lung cancer risk specifically in smokers (and asbestos-exposed workers) in two large RCTs -- a safety note, not a blanket warning against beta-carotene generally.
Source: NIH ODS Vitamin A fact sheet; ATBC 1994 PMID 8127329, CARET/Omenn 1996 PMID 8602180
Why Retinyl Palmitate is tier 1
Preformed retinyl esters are efficiently and near-completely hydrolyzed to retinol during absorption, so the RAE conversion is a direct 1:1 with retinol by definition.
Source: NIH ODS Vitamin A fact sheet RAE table