How to Convert Vitamin A Palmitate IU to Micrograms

Vitamin A is available in a variety of forms, including retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate. Vitamin A is measured in both international units - commonly abbreviated IU - and micrograms. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, making overdose more likely than with water-soluble vitamins. Therefore, knowing how to convert a measurement of retinyl palmitate from IU to micrograms can be beneficial when determining the dosage of a vitamin supplement.

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Step 1

Locate the amount of vitamin A palmitate on the nutrition facts table.

Step 2

Multiply the amount of vitamin A palmitate in IU by 0.55 to determine the amount in micrograms. For example, 100 IU of vitamin A palmitate is equivalent to 55 mcg.

Step 3

Check your work by dividing the amount of vitamin A palmitate micrograms by its equivalent amount in IU. The quotient will be 0.55 if you correctly converted IU to micrograms. For example, if you determined that 200 IU of vitamin A palmitate is equivalent to 110 mcg, you would check your work by dividing 110 mcg by 200 IU. The quotient is 0.55, which means that 110 mcg of vitamin A palmitate is, in fact, equivalent to 200 IU of vitamin A palmitate.