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Beta carotene supplements: what to know before you buy

By the Life in Good Form editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

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What beta-carotene is and how it becomes vitamin A

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid. Your body converts it to vitamin A, so supplement labels list it as "Vitamin A (as beta-carotene)" in mcg RAE, which stands for retinol activity equivalents.

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) gives the conversion: 1 mcg RAE equals 2 mcg of beta-carotene from supplements or 12 mcg of beta-carotene from food. In older IU labeling, 1 IU of supplemental beta-carotene equals 0.3 mcg RAE. That is why a softgel labeled 25,000 IU holds the same amount as one labeled 7,500 mcg.

ODS also notes that absorption of beta-carotene from supplements varies a lot, from 8.7% to 65%, compared with 70% to 90% for the preformed vitamin A esters.

How much vitamin A is in a typical softgel

The RDA for vitamin A is 900 mcg RAE for adult men and 700 mcg RAE for adult women. ODS says multivitamins often provide 750 to 1,050 mcg RAE, and standalone vitamin A supplements commonly provide 3,000 mcg RAE.

Standalone beta-carotene softgels usually go higher. NOW Foods lists its natural beta-carotene softgel at 7,500 mcg of vitamin A, 100% as beta-carotene, which it labels as 833% of the Daily Value. Many Amazon listings show the same amount as 25,000 IU.

That is several times what most adults need. It is also the range used in the trials that raised safety concerns, which is why the dose on the label matters more than the brand.

The smoker warning: what the big trials found

Two large trials changed how experts view beta-carotene supplements. ODS summarizes both:

• ATBC study: 29,133 male smokers age 50 to 69 took 20 mg a day of beta-carotene, vitamin E, both, or a placebo for 5 to 8 years. Beta-carotene raised the risk of lung cancer by 18%, and overall deaths were 8% higher in those taking it.
• CARET study: 18,314 current and former smokers, plus some men exposed to asbestos, took 30 mg of beta-carotene with 25,000 IU of retinyl palmitate or a placebo. The trial was stopped early after a mean of 4 years because lung cancer risk rose by 28%, lung cancer deaths by 46% and deaths from any cause by 17%.

The concern also reached former smokers. In AREDS2, an eye disease trial with 4,203 people age 50 to 85, a formula with 15 mg of beta-carotene was not given to current smokers. Even so, more lung cancers turned up in the beta-carotene group (23 versus 11), and 31 of the 34 people affected were former smokers.

Not every trial found harm. One study gave 22,071 male physicians 50 mg of beta-carotene on alternate days for 12 years and found no difference in lung cancer. But the consistent signal in smokers is the reason most guidance says smokers and former smokers should not take it.

Does beta-carotene prevent heart disease, cancer or eye disease?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against using beta carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer in community-dwelling, nonpregnant adults. It rates this a grade D recommendation.

For age-related macular degeneration (AMD), ODS reports that the AREDS2 follow-up showed beta-carotene was not a required ingredient. The original AREDS formula without beta-carotene gave the same protective effect against advanced AMD. That is why many eye formulas sold today use lutein and zeaxanthin instead and are labeled beta-carotene free.

Safety: skin color, pregnancy and medicines

Beta-carotene behaves differently from retinol in a few ways that matter:

• Skin color. ODS says the most common effect of long-term excess beta-carotene is carotenodermia, a harmless yellow-orange skin color that goes away when you stop taking it. It is not a tan.
• Upper limit. The adult upper limit of 3,000 mcg a day applies only to preformed vitamin A (retinol and its esters). The beta-carotene part of a label does not count toward it.
• Pregnancy. Unlike preformed vitamin A, ODS says beta-carotene is not known to cause birth defects. Experts still advise people who are or might be pregnant not to take more than 3,000 mcg RAE a day of vitamin A supplements, so check the retinol share of any prenatal or multivitamin.
• Orlistat. The weight loss drug orlistat (Alli, Xenical) can lower absorption of vitamin A and beta-carotene.

How to choose a beta-carotene supplement

Start by asking whether you need a standalone product at all. If you already take a multivitamin, it may provide close to the RDA on its own.

If a clinician has suggested beta-carotene and you have never smoked, compare labels on these points:

• Amount in mcg RAE. 7,500 mcg (25,000 IU) is the common single dose. Lower amounts are easier to fit into a total that already includes a multivitamin.
• Source. Some products list a natural source, such as NOW Foods' beta-carotene from Blakeslea trispora.
• Softgel shell. Many softgels use bovine gelatin. Look for a capsule labeled vegan if you avoid animal products.
• Other vitamin A. If the label also lists retinyl palmitate or acetate, add that part to your preformed vitamin A total.
• Label cautions. NOW Foods labels its product for adults only and advises talking to a physician if pregnant, nursing or taking medication.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

Can beta carotene supplements make you look tanner?

Large amounts over time can turn skin yellow-orange, a harmless condition called carotenodermia that fades when you stop. It is not a tan.

Are beta carotene supplements safe?

For nonsmokers at label doses, the main known effect of excess is harmless skin color. For current and former smokers, trials found higher lung cancer risk, so they should not take them.

Do beta carotene supplements work?

They raise vitamin A intake, which matters if your diet is low. They have not been shown to prevent heart disease or cancer, and the USPSTF recommends against using them for that.

Is 25,000 IU of beta carotene too much?

25,000 IU of supplemental beta-carotene equals 7,500 mcg RAE, several times the adult RDA. It does not count toward the retinol upper limit, but it is far more than most people need, and smokers should avoid it.

Is beta carotene safe during pregnancy?

NIH says beta-carotene is not known to cause birth defects, unlike high-dose retinol. Still, use the prenatal vitamin your clinician recommends rather than adding a high-dose softgel.

Sources

• Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (ods.od.nih.gov), NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
• Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer (uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org), U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• Beta Carotene, Natural 7,500 mcg Softgels (www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/beta-carotene-natural-7500-mcg-softgels), NOW Foods

Sources checked 2026-10-15.