vitamin A (retinol) may cause loss of bone density

[Guest guest]

A study published in the Jan. 23 issue of The New England Journal of

Medicine purports to show a link between high intake of vitamin A, or

retinol, and increased risk of bone fractures. The research, taken from a

30-year population study conducted on 2,300 men at University Hospital in

Uppsala, Sweden, suggests that vitamin A consumption of as little as 1.5 mg

(5,000 IUs)‹or less than twice the U.S. RDA for adult men‹can have a

significant impact in decreasing bone density and increasing the risk of

bone fractures.

 

here is the study originally published:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/348/4/287

and here is an article about the study:

webmd.com/content/article/59/66818.htm

 

a citation from a third article:

" Vitamin A levels are a surrogate marker for three main foods‹ margarine,

fortified cereals and milk, " Gaby said. The trans fatty acids in margarine

can interfere with good fats that support bone health; fortified cereals are

themselves a marker for a high sugar diet, which can have a negative impact

on bone health; and high milk intake can upset the body's balance between

calcium and phosphorus, also leading to loss of bone density.

 

and a comment from me:

What I understand this does not apply to the vitamin A from Beta-caroten

that comes naturally with biodynamic unreduced fat milk and with carrots

etc. It is the supplementary addition of synthetic vitamin A, retinol or

retinyl that in Sweden there is a law you have to add if you take away

natural fat from the milk product. Correct me if I get this wrong. I called

the company of the major milk products and they had both betakaroten and

retinyl, they said they were unaware of the study and why they put it in was

because ther was a law that told them to do so.

 

Holger