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Vitamin A and beta-carotene


Altostrata

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If you have had diarrhea or been unable to eat properly for a long time, you may be low in vitamin A.

 

From Medscape http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/126004-overview

Vitamin A is essential for vision (especially dark adaptation), immune response, bone growth, reproduction, the maintenance of the surface linings of the eyes, epithelial cell growth and repair, and the epithelial integrity of the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts. Vitamin A is also important for embryonic development and the regulation of adult genes. It functions as an activator of gene expression by retinoid alpha-receptor transcription factor and ligand-dependent transcription factor.

 

....Abnormal visual adaptation to darkness, dry skin, dry hair, broken fingernails, and decreased resistance to infections are among the first signs of vitamin A deficiency (VAD)....

Vitamin A is found in red and orange vegetables, such as pumpkin, squash, and carrots, where it appears as a substance called beta-carotene.

 

Food beta-carotene is probably a more effective and safer way to boost vitamin A than taking synthetic vitamin A supplements. Beta-carotene is a provitamin A: Your body can convert what it needs to vitamin A. Plus, food betacarotene contains a bunch of other associated nutrients.

 

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina-HealthProfessional/

Provitamin A carotenoids such as beta-carotene are generally considered safe because they are not associated with specific adverse health effects. Their conversion to vitamin A decreases when body stores are full. A high intake of provitamin A carotenoids can turn the skin yellow, but this is not considered dangerous to health.

Note all the foods containing vitamin A, including liver.

 

Soups made from pumpkin, squash, or carrots are very easy to make, and even taste good cold. All you need to do is: - Cut the raw veg into chunks

- Steam, roast, or microwave it until it's cooked

- Add flavorings, if you wish, such as cinnamon or ginger, thyme, salt and pepper

- Put all in a food processor with a little milk, chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water, or use a stick blender to puree until smooth. (I love my stick blender, it's easy to clean.)

- Eat at room temperature or heat up for hot soup

 

There are beta-carotene supplements derived from food. I took Natural Factors BetaCareAll food beta-carotene supplement for a few months because I thought it would be good for my gut (repairs mucus membranes). I don't know if it helped, but my gut did get better.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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  • 2 years later...

>45% of all people of western origin does not convert or convert very little of beta carotene to vitamin a (retinol) due to genetics. This makes beta carotene a poor supplement for us. Retinol is the proper form for supplementation, and like vitamin d, can be taken on and of as our body can stores retinol for later use. Liver is a good source of vitamin A. Maybe this is one of the reasons why so many feel awful when on a vegetarian diet? (

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2745744/

2010: Mirtazapine 30mg followed by Zopiclone 7.5 mg for sleep post surgery due to pain.
2012-> Tapering Mirtazapine and Zopiclone at different rates unsuccessfully.
2013: Hospitalized 10 days due to complete Insomnia. Forced back up to 45mg Mirtazapine, 7.5 mg Zopiclone and also Theralene 1 ml.
2013-03: Lab showed Vitamin D deficient. Found the vitamin d and insomnia connection. Supplementing vitamin d. Sleep improved by 1-2 hours
2013-04: Dropped mirtazapine to 30 due to severe side effects. Quit Theralene. Zopiclone 7.5.
2013-05 - 2013-11: Mirtazapine taper monthly 25 20 15 11 8 4 2.5 mg
2013-12 Holding M at 2.5. Need to taper Zopiclone due to daytime nausea and vomiting. Taper zopiclone 1/4 red every 5 d. Last Z 2013-12-19
2013-12-31 M:2.5. Reinstated Zopiclone 3.75 due to Insomnia
2014-01-06 M:2.5. Taper Z 1.9 ... 2014-01-14 M:2.5. Z 1 mg.
Jumped of Zopiclone 01-20. Jumped mirtazapine 02-16.

Theralene: 10mg 02-09. 8mg 03-09. 5mg 03-15. 4mg 03-24. 3mg 04-08. Jumped 04-21.
Zopiclone free for 251 days. Mirtazapine free for 224 days.

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Interesting.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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  • 8 years later...
On 4/28/2012 at 1:35 AM, Altostrata said:

If you have had diarrhea or been unable to eat properly for a long time, you may be low in vitamin A.

 

There are beta-carotene supplements derived from food. I took Natural Factors BetaCareAll food beta-carotene supplement for a few months because I thought it would be good for my gut (repairs mucus membranes). I don't know if it helped, but my gut did get better.

Has anyone here found Beta-carotene (either chemical or food-derived) activating?

Doc is not God spelled backwards!

 

Mirtazapine 30mg 2003-February 2022

Vortioxetine 10mg December 2021

Quetiapine 12.5mg - 25mg - 50mg - 75mg January-March 2022

Trazodone 50mg 2003-present

Alprazolam 1 mg August 2019-present

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Johra FT, Bepari AK, Bristy AT, Reza HM. A Mechanistic Review of β-Carotene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin in Eye Health and Disease. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Oct 26;9(11):1046. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111046. PMID: 33114699; PMCID: PMC7692753. Full text here.

Abstract

Carotenoids are natural lipid-soluble antioxidants abundantly found as colorful pigments in fruits and vegetables. At least 600 carotenoids occur naturally, although about 20 of them, including β-carotene, α-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin, are detectable in the human blood. They have distinct physiological and pathophysiological functions ranging from fetal development to adult homeostasis. β-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A that essentially functions in many biological processes including vision. The human macula lutea and eye lens are rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, collectively known as macular xanthophylls, which help maintain eye health and prevent ophthalmic diseases. Ocular carotenoids absorb light from the visible region (400-500 nm wavelength), enabling them to protect the retina and lens from potential photochemical damage induced by light exposure. These natural antioxidants also aid in quenching free radicals produced by complex physiological reactions and, consequently, protect the eye from oxidative stress, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. This review discusses the protective mechanisms of macular xanthophylls in preventing eye diseases such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Moreover, some preclinical animal studies and some clinical trials are discussed briefly to understand carotenoid safety and efficacy.

 

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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A word of caution on vitamin A - it can be toxic to fetuses if taken in excess. Beta carotene avoids that issue as only what you need is absorbed.

Though, fun fact, your skin can turn yellow/orange if you eat too much beta carotene :)

 

It is easy to get over 1000% of vitamin A through beta carotene if you get your 5-9 servings of veggies and fruits a day so even if you absorb a small amount of it, it would still be sufficient. 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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Thanks, Alto. It's good to see recent research. This reports all the antioxidants such as ascorbates & tocopherols, lutein & zeaxanthin are 'safe' The question is always, safe when still experiencing WD. And every individual in WD is sensitised in different ways. 

 

And thanks, On My Way. Do people really eat '5-9 servings' of fruit & veg?!? Good goal to aim for. We're probably at 4-5.

 

But has anybody in the SA community suffered activation from β-carotene? (I've had two horrible activations: B12 & D3. I would not want to repeat the experience! Sleeplessness & agitation.)

 

* Do you think there's more potential for activation in chemical (Vitamin A palmitate) (maybe?) than food-based β-carotene? Any experience of this? Certainly BetaCareAll lists more comprehensive eye ingredients, although just a small amount of Lutein.

 

Many psych drugs are implicated in Dry Eye Disease but I have found only one Dry Eye (maybe) report on SA. Unfortunately, this is one of those side effects which does not go away when withdrawal has fully abated.

 

  

Doc is not God spelled backwards!

 

Mirtazapine 30mg 2003-February 2022

Vortioxetine 10mg December 2021

Quetiapine 12.5mg - 25mg - 50mg - 75mg January-March 2022

Trazodone 50mg 2003-present

Alprazolam 1 mg August 2019-present

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