The daily recommended intake of vitamin A for adults:

Appeared in: NVS- 2025

Explanation

600 micrograms (mcg) of retinol.
This value is based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its 2010 guidelines for a healthy adult man or woman.
This amount was determined to be sufficient to correct dark adaptation issues in vitamin A depleted individuals and maintain adequate serum levels.
Vitamin A is essential for normal vision (especially at night), immune function, and the integrity of epithelial tissues.

Option A: 4000 micrograms is an excessively high daily intake, far exceeding the recommendation and posing a risk of toxicity (hypervitaminosis A).
Option B: 1200 micrograms is double the recommended daily allowance for an adult. While not immediately toxic, it is unnecessarily high for routine intake.
Option D: 800 micrograms is the specific RDA for pregnant women to support fetal growth and development, not for the general adult population.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must educate patients on balanced diets to meet micronutrient needs and prevent deficiencies. Early signs of Vitamin A deficiency include nyctalopia (night blindness).
It is crucial to assess the dietary habits of at-risk populations, such as pregnant women, children, and individuals with malabsorption disorders.
Nurses should caution patients against excessive supplementation without medical advice, as hypervitaminosis A can cause severe health problems, including liver damage and birth defects.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for a specific numerical value related to a nutrient.
Recognize the nutrient (Vitamin A) and the target population (adults).
This is a factual recall question. The answer relies on remembering standard nutritional guidelines, specifically the RDA provided by authorities like the ICMR.
Recall the standard value for an adult. If you are unsure, try to eliminate options. 800 mcg is often associated with pregnancy, and 4000 mcg seems excessively high, suggesting a risk of toxicity.
Between the remaining options, select the value that corresponds to the standard RDA for a general adult, which is 600 mcg.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QV7_w75epmuMRjs1dPJ_E6

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e pp. 67-69, 59-61

Practise the full NVS- 2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.