Vitamin A is a group of compounds that includes retinoids and carotenoids. Vitamin A from plant sources is a carotenoid that your body can transform into a retinol, while vitamin A from animal sources is already in a form of retinol that's easily absorbed by your body. Vitamin A palmitate is the form of vitamin A found naturally in animal sources and also produced synthetically. Vitamin A palmitate, also called retinyl palmitate or retinol palmitate, is found in animal sources. Daily dietary sources of vitamin A palmitate are found in liver, fish, whole milk, eggs, cheese and butter. Vitamin A palmitate is lost when the fat is removed from these sources, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Plant sources of vitamin A are carotenoids, found in alpha- and beta-carotene-rich fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids are good sources of vitamin A but not of vitamin A palmitate. Vitamin A palmitate is also synthetically produced and used to fortify foods such as dairy products that have lost vitamin A palmitate in processing and breakfast cereals.
Vitamin A palmitate supplements in liquid, powder and pill form are used to treat vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A palmitate is fat-soluble and can accumulate to toxic levels in your body. Too much vitamin A palmitate can be acutely toxic, too, and cause various symptoms such as headache, nausea or vomiting, according to a study headed by C. Carlier published in the 1993 issue of the “British Medical Journal.” Adverse health effects such as birth defects, liver abnormalities and reduced bone mineral density may result from taking too much vitamin A. So before taking any vitamin A supplement, consult your physician or other health care provider. Vitamin A palmitate is manufactured in synthetic form for use in cosmetics to treat skin problems including acne and wrinkles. Natural retinoids are used in over-the-counter skin creams, but synthetic vitamin A palmitate, tretinoin and isotretinoin, is available by prescription only. Other uses for vitamin A palmitate include treatment of eye disorders such as Bitot’s spot, dry eye and retinitis pigmentosa.
Distinguishing between those vitamin A products that contain carotenoids, which are not the same as retinol, and those that contain vitamin A palmitate can be confusing. Vitamin A from animal sources is referred to as preformed vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A is called by various names, depending on whether it is natural or synthetic. Some common names of vitamin A palmitate include retinyl palmitate, vitamin A, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin A acetate (retinyl acetate), retinol palmitate and retinyl palmitate. Is Vitamin A Palmitate Natural? Retinol Vs. Retinyl Palmitate How to Convert Vitamin A Palmitate IU to Micrograms Vitamin A Palmitate Side Effects Foods High in Vitamin A (RAE) Vitamin A Toxicity Is Most Likely to Occur From What? The Best Antioxidant Skin Serums Topical Retinol & Pregnancy What Is Tricalcium Phosphate? Beta Carotene & Healthy Skin What Is Bad About Mono- & Diglycerides? The Side Effects of Thiamine Mononitrate
What Is the Difference Between D-Alpha & Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate? Food Additives: What is Sodium Phosphate? What Is Potassium Sorbate? B-Complex Vitamin Benefits & Side Effects Digestion of Vitamins & Minerals Beta Carotene Conversion to RetinolAlso known as retinyl palmitate and retinol palmitate, vitamin A palmitate is one of the most commonly found of all the synthetic vitamin isolates. Virtually all the homogenized milk that children have drank for decades has been fortified with the additive vitamin A palmitate. “The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and New York Senator Chuck Schumer have called attention to the fact that high doses of topical retinyl palmitate were shown to accelerate cancer in lab animals …” The first question anyone might ask is why is a synthetic vitamin isolate being put into so many food products, including milk, when it has been shown to accelerate cancer in animals undergoing laboratory tests? The debate about vitamin A palmitate has been raging in research institutions and university laboratories since it was first synthesized.
Because it has been used in advertising for so long as a food and body product enhancer, revealing its downside health risks and adverse side effects would expose many a company to serious legal action and subsequent financial liability. “In virtually every study on vitamin A toxicity, it is isolated, synthetic supplements that are associated with adverse effects, not foods. Experimental animals and human subjects receive or are taking retinyl acetate, retinyl palmitate, or a synthetic retinoic acid derivative. Even small amounts of synthetic forms of vitamin A may be toxic, the actual amount differing with individuals and factors such as liver health. It is the toxicity of synthetic forms of vitamin A that produce the publicity about alleged dangers of vitamin A. Natural food sources of vitamin A are well tolerated at even high doses.” Read: How Vitamin Studies Deceive the Public into Big Pharma Profits What are the adverse side effects from ingesting too much synthetic vitamin A?
The following excerpt well explains some of the more serious side effects which can occur from ingesting too much vitamin A palmitate. One sign of vitamin A palmitate overdose is some type of allergic reaction. This can manifest itself in itching, rash or hives. It can result in swelling of the hands, face, mouth or throat. You may also be having an allergic reaction if your chest feels tight and/or your breathing is labored. All of the following stomach problems, if they occur while you are taking the vitamin, are signs of toxicity: nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite and stomach pains. Too much vitamin A results in several types of dryness. You may see significant hair loss, dry lips, itchy lips or skin that is cracking, flaking, peeling, significantly dry or itchy. Call your doctor if you experience any changes in your eyes or mouth. Check to see whether the whites of your eyes have yellowed. If you have any trouble seeing, including double vision or a pain behind your eyeballs, you may be experiencing overdose.
Oral symptoms include a sore mouth and/or bleeding gums. Certain side effects of vitamin A palmitate affect your entire body. Look out for severe headaches or migraines, sleepiness or fatigue, dizziness or confusion, a feeling of bodily weakness, irritability, or pain in your bones and joints. Taking too much vitamin A can result in serious liver damage. Signs of liver damage are usually seen when the vitamin is taken over a long period and heavily over-consumed (25,000 to 33,000 IU every day). Look out for the signs of chronic toxicity as listed above, and only take large doses of vitamin A under the supervision of a doctor. High doses of vitamin A palmitate should not be taken during pregnancy. Overdose of vitamin A has been linked to birth defects. If you’re taking a palmitate supplement, do not get pregnant (this is also why it’s so dangerous to get pregnant while on Accutane, which is a form of vitamin A). If you do get pregnant, tell your doctor immediately and stop taking the vitamin.”
One of the side effects mentioned above is “pain in your bones and joints.” Horticulturalist Dr. Norman Childers was one of the first researchers to determine how long-term ingestion of vitamin A palmitate can significantly contribute to arthritic type pains and joint stiffness. He went so far as to prohibit the intake of any synthetic vitamin A while adhering to his famous nightshade-free diet. He knew that those who ate processed food fortified with vitamin A palmitate would experience arthritic pains very similar to those caused by the solanine and other glycoalkaloid poisons found in nightshades. Another great example of where harmful synthetic vitamins are being used in place of wholefood options can be seen with vitamin E. On average, the synthetic source is far less desirable (and cheaper) than the organic (food based) source. If you’re taking the synthetic version of vitamin E, which is a petrochemically derived analogue of natural vitamin E, you could actually be disrupting your endocrine system and sending your body into a perilous state of health.