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Vitamin A

May 28th, 2010

I am continually on a quest to find the perfect multivitamin supplement.  This involves reading a lot of the “supplement facts” labels.  For multivitamins, Vitamin A, which is important for vision and immune functioning, is usually the first on the list.  Right off the bat, if the amount or type of Vitamin A in the supplement is not up to par with current research, I can eliminate it from my list.  This makes my job a lot easier, but I am noticing a disturbing trend.  Vitamin A, depending on the dosage and the type used, can be toxic.  I am finding too many well-respected supplement companies, with excessive levels of A.  Here are the basics on A in supplement form:  You should try to avoid “preformed” A, usually listed in the ingredients as retinol palmitate or acetate.  Levels of 5000 IU or greater per day have been linked with increased risk of osteoporosis, increased risk of cancer in smokers, and may interfere with the beneficial effects of vitamin D.  Ideally, the A should be in the form of beta-carotene, which has shown less toxicity and less risk. If the dosage is less than 5000 IU’s, at least 50% of it should be from beta-carotene.  It will list that right on the label.  As with many supplements, there is current debate over the truly safe or beneficial amounts.  However, there is a lot of agreement that more than 5000 IU’s should be avoided under normal circumstances.  For me, when I hear about a supplement’s “debate over safe levels”, or “toxicity” or “increased risk of…..anything”, I always choose the safe route:  I’ll just get mine from food: carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, yams, tuna, spinach.  That’s the way our bodies were intended to be nourished.  But if you choose to take a multi vitamin supplement, check the amount of Vitamin A.  More than half the ones I researched have excessive levels.  When in doubt, eat a carrot.  Have a healthy day!

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