VITAMIN A/ RETINOL

Retinol is the bioavailable form of vitamin A, beta carotene is not. Let me explain! 

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin crucial for hormone health, fertility, thyroid hormone synthesis, proper !mmune system function, proper epithelial cell health in the gut lining, converting copper to its active form (ceruloplasmin,) and much more. 

Your liver is responsible for converting beta carotene (the inactive form of Vitamin A) into the active form of Vitamin A (known as retinol.) There is a big difference between the two.

It’s estimated that over 50% of the population cannot make this conversion at all, and the remaining percentage of people that can make this conversion only convert beta carotene to retinol at a 3% conversion rate. 

That’s why people’s skin can turn orange when they consume too much beta carotene containing foods- the body is unable to convert it all into the active form😬

🚨🚨But what about vitamin A TOXICITY!?! Research indicates you’d need to take 7.5 million (MILLION) IU’s of retinol in one serving to incur an acute toxicity. That’s the equivalent of 95 lbs of beef liver, in one sitting. I don’t think you’re doing that 😆

And to reach a chronic toxicity level, you’d need to eat 100,000 IU’s of vitamin A daily for 6 months to start to incur symptoms of toxicity. That would be the equivalent of consuming a whole pound of beef liver, daily, for 6 months. 

Unless you regularly eat an astronomical amount of Vitamin A each day, you’re likely deficient in this important vitamin, not incurring a toxic level. 

When you are constructing a diet rich in other fat soluble vitamins like E, K2 and minerals like magnesium and zinc, the threshold for “toxicity” climbs even higher, 60 ounces of liver per day for several years in a row before seeing signs of toxicity. This is because those vitamins and minerals work in concert with retinol! 

⭐️The best food sources of retinol Vitamin A include: beef liver & organ meats, dairy products like butter, cream and ghee, eggs, cod liver oil (not fish oil) & my current favorite, whole cod livers. 

As you may have guessed, retinol is not present in plant foods; it is only present in animal or certain fish products.

I deliberately said retinol, rather than Vitamin A, because there's a lot of confusion about Vitamin A, and if you read the mainstream health websites, you'd be forgiven for thinking that carrots and sweet potato are good sources of Vitamin A.

That's not necessarily the case.

Orange fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene, a potential precursor to retinol (preformed Vitamin A), but many people simply don't convert it efficiently. Some people don't convert any at all. On average, it is thought that ~17% of beta-carotene is converted to retinol. Cooked plant foods are more available, but needs to be eaten with a source of fat, to be absorbed. (Sorry raw vegans)

All in all, rather difficult to get adequate retinol on a plant-based diet (hence why Vitamin A deficiency is so widespread in developing countries, where the majority of calories come from plant foods). Up to half a million children go blind every year, due to Vitamin A deficiency.

Of course, the solution to this, according to Gates & others, is not to make animal protein more available, but rather to genetically engineer their crops to contain more beta-carotene 🤦🤦🤦

Because retinol is stored in the liver, one can have inadequate dietary intake for months or even years, before deficiency symptoms begin to manifest 

Highest sources of retinol are cod liver oil and beef liver. Both of these can be found in the link in bio, but I highly recommend working with a knowledgeable practitioner to make sure nutritional foundations are also in place, such as adequate zinc, Vitamin D, magnesium, etc Other sources include butter, eggs, yoghurt, cheese, fatty fish...

PS. If you answered yes to some of these symptoms, you probably answered yes to some of the symptoms on my last post (copper deficiency). We need retinol to make copper available and usable.

Oftentimes, the first thing I hear when I recommend more vitamin A in the diet: “I eat plenty of carrots and sweet potatoes, I’m good!” 

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin crucial for hormone health, fertility, thyroid hormone synthesis, converting copper to its active form (ceruloplasmin,) and much more. We know from studies that absorption increases when this vitamin is taken with dietary fats. Conveniently, the foods that host high amounts of this vitamin all naturally contain fat!😎

Your liver is responsible for converting beta carotene (the inactive form of Vitamin A) into the active form of Vitamin A (known as retinol.) There is a big difference between the two.

It’s estimated that over 40% of the population cannot make this conversion at all, and the remaining percentage of people that can make this conversion only convert beta carotene to retinol at a 3% conversion rate. 

It’s also worth noting that the studies showing the dangers of supposed “vitamin A toxicity” were studied in the context of excess beta carotene (non active form) and NOT excess retinol (active) vitamin A. 

⭐️Food sources of retinol Vitamin A include: beef liver & organ meats, cod livers, dairy products such as butter, cream and ghee and fish such as sardines. 

See the slides for my references and a lot more information on this! ❤️

Peanut butter + jelly. Sourdough toast + butter. Chocolate + strawberries. These are some of the greatest duos of all-time.
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Another epic duo? Copper + Vitamin A (Retinol).
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You hear a lot about how important Copper is. And yes, it is an essential nutrient for overall metabolic function and whole-body health. Specifically around fertility, Copper helps:
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〰Support the absorption of Iron during digestion
〰Support the transfer of Iron between mom and baby
〰Regulate the hormone Serotonin, which can cause pregnancy loss if too high
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BUT, cannot perform its many beneficial and antioxidative functions unless it’s in its bioavailable form, Ceruloplasmin.
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What activates Copper and allows it to become one of the most powerful enzymes in the body? REAL Vitamin A (Retinol).
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Retinol is what loads Copper into the Ceruloplasmin enzyme. Without it, Iron cannot be absorbed, managed, or properly circulated between mom + baby. Serotonin can rise. Glutathione peroxidase cannot function. Histamine intolerance can occur. Oxidative stress can occur. So on and so forth.
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This is why liver is such a great way to increase bioavailable Copper. Because it’s an ample source of Copper and Vitamin A (Retinol).
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Just one serving of beef liver contains:
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9.8 mg of Copper (488% RDI)
6582 IU of Vitamin A (731% RDI)
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Can’t stomach beef liver? No worries. Desiccated beef liver is also a great option. I love @perfectsupplementsDesiccated Beef Liver. (code INNATE provides a 10% discount).
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This is also why a Copper supplement may not be in the cards. Copper supplements don’t contain Vitamin A (Retinol). And if there isn’t enough to support the Copper supplement, it can create new problems.
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How do you get in your Copper and Vitamin A (Retinol)?
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Not medical advice.

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