Guest guest Posted March 24, 2003 Report Share Posted March 24, 2003 01/23/2001 Toxic carrots Associated Press says carrots are toxic Thousands call vitamin companies over false beta carotene scare Associated Press (AP) was made aware of their mistake, that they reported vitamin A from beta carotene could be toxic. But AP has yet to print a retraction. Meanwhile, millions of Americans were reading reports that 3000mcg (10,000 IU) of vitamin A could be toxic to the liver. Where Associated Press made their mistake was when they equated beta carotene with vitamin A. Beta carotene converts to vitamin A in the liver and excesses are stored in the skin, not the liver. To clarify the issue, this reporter conducted a first-hand interview with Dr. Robert Russell, professor of medicine and nutrition, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, and chair of the panel that wrote the recently released report on vitamin A by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Dr. Russell says there is absolutely no danger of toxicity from the beta carotene form of vitamin A often provided in daily multivitamins. Dr. Russell says the danger of liver toxicity is only posed by vitamin A acetate and palmitate, fatty forms of vitamin A, that may build up in the liver. For comparison, a 3.5-ounce serving of beef liver provides about 36,000 units of the fatty form of vitamin A. People can take 50,000 international units of vitamin A from beta carotene without toxicity, says Dr. Russell. According to Dr. Russell, there have no reported cases of toxicity at the 10,000 IU intake of vitamin A, but to be on the safe side, the National Academy of Sciences establishes a 5X safety factor. Even then, it would be difficult to produce liver toxicity while taking vitamin A. In a recent study involving 146 patients who took an average of 18,000 units of vitamin A palmitate over a 5-year period as treatment for inherited night blindness, none developed liver toxicity. [American Journal Clinical Nutrition 1999 Apr;69(4):656-63] No person has ever died from vitamin A overdose, except a hunter in Canada who shot a bear and ate the animal's liver for dinner and consumed a toxic 1-million-unit dose of vitamin A. The National Academy of Sciences warning on vitamin A, disseminated by the Associated Press, appears to be a misdirected action since the NAS report reveals that 25-50 percent of young adults may not have sufficient stores of vitamin A in the liver. He says the NAS indicates healthy adults should have a 4 months-supply of vitamin A stored in their liver. Millions of Americans may have low vitamin A stores, but the NAS decided to issue a bulletin to protect the 50-60 estimated people who develop liver toxicity annually in the U.S. Very high-dose beta carotene sometimes results in a harmless orange skin condition called carotenemia that can even fool doctors into thinking a person has jaundice. #### WARNING ATTACK OF THE TOXIC CARROTS Brought to you by: The National Academy of Sciences Watch out for toxic carrots, which have somehow gotten into the food chain. They contain 10,000 units of beta carotene, which can convert into vitamin A in the liver and become toxic. There have been no reported widespread outbreaks of liver toxicity from eating carrots, nor from taking food supplements with beta carotene, but the potential for liver toxicity exists, and the public had better be on guard. The toxic carrots are coming to get you. Watch out. That beta-carotene stuff in vitamin pills could also be toxic. Everyone should be scanned for carrots in their liver immediately! They could, they might, they may be toxic so all you carrot juicers beware, along with all you compulsive vitamin-pill pushers, beware. This is an epidemic that could potentially be worse than the swine flu. If you’ve got vitamin pills with beta carotene, or any of those innocent-looking orange carrots in your house, better call hazardous waste removal right away (don’t throw them down the drain or into the trash, they are too toxic for that.) A hazmat team will come and remove them. #### http://www.billsardi.com/sdm.asp?pg=news & specific=37 The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO " Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen " Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future " http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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