Microblog: Factual Risks of Vitamin A Toxicity
My thoughts on vitamin A toxicity and liver are on a bonus Cutting Against the Grain podcast. This post shares factual risks of vitamin A toxicity.
REGARDING DAILY VITAMIN A UPPER LIMITS (UL):
⚠️One ounce of liver is above the Upper Limit (UL) Threshold for daily vitamin A.
⚠️Per the NIH of Dietary Supplements: The FNB has established ULs for preformed vitamin A that apply to BOTH food and supplement intakes.
⚠️The FNB based these ULs on the amounts associated with an increased risk of liver abnormalities in men and women, teratogenic effects, and a range of toxic effects in infants and children.
⚠️The FNB has not established ULs for beta-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids.
THE EVIDENCE:
🚨The liver stores about 90% of the body’s vitamin A.
🚨One study showed 33% vitamin A toxicity from human liver biopsies.
🚨They weren’t on a meat-based diet but given the vitamin A-rich foods we consume, I wonder if more of us have toxic levels.
🚨When people consume too much vitamin A, their tissue levels take a long time to fall after they discontinue their intake, and the resulting liver damage is not always reversible.
PER MERCK AND NIH:
🦴Adults who consume >1500 mcg/day of vitamin A may develop osteoporosis.
👶🏻Infants who are given excessive doses 6,000 to 20,000 (mcg/day) if vitamin A may develop toxicity within a few weeks.
🤱🏻Birth defects occur in children of women receiving isotretinoin (related to vitamin A) for acne treatment during pregnancy.
🅰️Mega doses of vitamin A can cause liver toxicity.
PER DR. TERRY WAHLS:
1️⃣She limits liver to once a week because of retinol risks.
PER CHRIS MASTERJOHN:
💣The majority of Vitamin A toxicity cases involve months or years of consistently taking more than 4620 IU per kg/day… however, vitamin A preparations that are water-soluble, emulsified, or solid may cause toxicity in weeks rather than months and at ten times lower doses.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This was never about fear mongering or clicks or views.
Get a copy of this post at https://www.nutritionwithjudy.com/vitamin-A
😔To everyone I advocated the feeding of liver to children, I’m sorry.
Heather Morcomb
April 6, 2025 at 11:58 pmThanks Judy, I’m SO glad I found this!!
I’m 68 and have been eating meat based daily with the high vitamin A foods of eggs, cheese and raw milk. Plus 2 gms of liver powder (700 mcg vit A) and 4 mixed organ capsules most days. The liver powder alone was giving me the RDA. There’s liver in my capsules also. I’ve been using Retin A cream for 6 mths. on my forehead, as prescribed, (for thickened lumps from blocked pores, common in the elderly.) … more vitamin A!
I looked up all the symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, and one is over production of collagen at the site of wound healing. Also fatigue and insomnia, which I’ve had for years, but it’s been getting worse.
8 mths ago I had a breast lift and and over time my incisions have raised, thickened, and stayed very red. My surgeon couldn’t explain why I was producing thick scarring , and has been giving me cortisone injections, and I’m booked in for laser this week. I haven’t produced awful scars in the past, when not having too much vitamin A.
Of cause, I have now stopped the liver and capsules! I will reduce the Retin A usage and do more exfoliating with s scrub instead.
So glad to find the possible reason for my awful scars!