Beta Carotene Is the Safe Way to Get Your Vitamin A

by Heidi Stevenson

You may have seen reports that vitamin A supplementation is dangerous. Gaia Health's response to that is, "So?" Yes, it is dangerous—but that's not news. It's been well known for eons. The bottom line is that it sounds like so much of the current hysteria around vitamin supplementation, most of which is promulgated by Big Pharma and Agribusiness.

Vitamin A is absolutely necessary for good health. Getting too little can be harmful to your health, but too much may be worse. However, you don't need to be concerned about it. The solution is quite simple: take beta carotene. It's the precursor of vitamin A. Your body transforms only as much of the beta carotene into vitamin A as it needs. No problem, no worries.

Why Vitamin A Is Important

The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University lists a large number of areas in which vitamin A is critical in good health function.

• Vision: Without adequate vitamin A, night vision can be severely impaired.
• Gene expression: Vitamin A, along with thyroid hormone and vitamin D, is required for genes, also known as DNA, to carry out their functions in cells.
• Immune system: Vitamin A is necessary for the development of white blood cells, which destroy invasive microbes and other undesirable elements that make their way into the bloodstream, and is also needed to produce mucous and healthy skin, both of which act as barriers to those microbes.
• Birth defects: Both excess and inadequate vitamin A can result in birth defects, especially of the eyes, ears, heart, and limbs.
• Red blood cells: Red blood cell development is dependent upon vitamin A, and hemoglobin cannot carry adequate iron without it.

Cancer has been strongly linked to inadequate vitamin A, and children who don't get enough—as is often the case with malnutrition—are far more likely to succomb to measles, as has been documented in African outbreaks. (This, of course, leads to questions about whether it's better to vaccinate for measles or to provide adequate nutrition.)

The Problem With Excess Vitamin A

It is used quickly by the body, but excess is slow to be cleared. This excess is stored in the liver, which can result in serious liver disease leading to liver damage and hemorrhage, and ultimately coma.

The amount of vitamin A that's needed is not definitively known, and likely varies from person to person. Some people are probably far more at risk from excess A, in particular heavy drinkers, pregnant women and their babies, and anyone with a compromised liver. Some studies indicate that excess A may be a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Cod Liver Oil As a Source of Vitamin A?

Cod liver oil has traditionally been used as a nutritional supplement. Because it comes from the liver of a fish, it contains pure vitamin A, rather than beta carotene. Thus, cod liver oil is a poor choice as a supplement, since it greatly increases the risk of overdosing on vitamin A—not to mention the risks associated with mercury and toxins that are captured by the liver.

Cod liver oil is also noted as an excellent source of vitamin D. Though no upper limit has been noted for D and it requires vitamin A for metabolization, excess A can interfere with it.

The Importance of Beta Carotene

It's virtually impossible to know whether you're getting too little or too much vitamin A if taken via supplement or cod liver oil. However, it doesn't matter! Simply assure that you get plenty of beta carotene. Fortunately, this is easy to do.

Beta carotene is abundant in any yellow or orange vegetable or fruit. Carrots are, of course, the classic example, but it's also present in abundance in yams, sweet potatoes, oranges, yellow corn, winter squashes...and the list goes on. Getting your nutrients from your food is certainly the best approach. However, nowadays that can be difficult. Agribusiness farming methods produce foods that are badly lacking in basic nutrients.

If you have any doubts about whether you're getting enough vitamin A, you can safely supplement with beta carotene. Your body will convert as much as it needs into A.

So, when you see stories promulgating fear about vitamin A, you can chuckle, knowing that there's no risk of either getting too little or too much, as long as you have a diet high in beta carotene, or take it in supplements if unsure.