I keep a tiny white bottle next to my bathroom sink. Every morning I put a few drops of it on my wrists before I leave the house. You are probably thinking I am referring to some expensive perfume. But I am not! I am talking about my treasured NutriSorb Vitamin A, which I love more and more each day. Why do I love it so much? Well, let’s start with some reasons to love vitamin A:
- Vitamin A is required to maintain the integrity of the skin and mucosal cells (cells that line the airways, digestive tract, and urinary tract).
- Vitamin A is required for normal functioning of the immune system which is why it is often called the “anti-infective vitamin”.
- Vitamin A opposes estrogen on the skin and promotes progesterone synthesis (you all know what I think of estrogen).
- A vitamin A deficiency can cause acne and dandruff. It helps clear up your skin and keeps it looking young!
- A deficiency in vitamin A can cause leukoplakia (white patches on mucus membranes) in the mouth and cervix. Ray Peat mentions that a couple of drops a day helped to clear up his leukoplakia.
- Vitamin A is important for eye health.
- Deficiency in Vitamin A can contribute to lack of libido.
- Vitamin A aids in calcium metabolism.
- Vitamin A works with Vitamin D and K. If you are in the sun you need to have good vitamin A.
- Adequate vitamin A speeds protein synthesis and allows it to be used more efficiently.
- Lack of Vitamin A may contribute to exzema.
- Proper vitamin A levels may even help prevent cancer
- A simple vitamin A deficiency causes an inability to use protein efficiently or to make progesterone.
- Vitamin A deficiency can mimic some of the effects of estrogen.
So now you can see how important Vitamin A is! We all need to get a good amount daily and, as always, food is our best medicine. Vitamin A can be found in egg yolks, whole milk, cream, butter, and liver. Liver, in fact, is one of the best sources of vitamin A since it has all the other vitamins that help the uptake of vitamin A in the body.
I realize, however, that many people aren’t eating liver once or twice a week. Nor are they eating a few egg yolks daily. It should come at no surprise then, that many people are vitamin A deficient. It has reported that upwards of 54% of American women and men do not get enough vitamin A from their diets. That’s half the population that isn’t getting enough vitamin A from the foods they eat. I suspect this is because of the low-fat diet fad we have seen over the past 20 years that vilify many foods that are actually good for us.
What is Vitamin A?
Pro-vitamin A (beta carotene and other carotenes) must be converted in the body into retinol (vitamin A). Pre-formed vitamin A is already formed as vitamin A (retinol). It consists of various forms of retinoic acid, including the
most common form, retinol. Pre-formed vitamin A is found in nature only in animal products.
But, wait… I eat beta carotene in foods like carrots and other vegetables, you might say. Isn’t that a good source of vitamin A? Here’s a shocking fact: studies show that almost 50% of women have a genetic variation which reduces their ability to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene. So many women can’t even convert the beta carotene to the usable form of vitamin A.
This actually gets us to another reason why so many people are vitamin A deficient — because because so many people are hypothyroid. Beta carotene has a pro-oxidative effect and, being unsaturated, may even have an anti-thyroid effect on the system.
Ray Peat says, “… vitamin A is used directly in proportion to your metabolic rate, protein turnover, and thyroid function. If your thyroid is low you barely use your carotene, it’s hardly converted to vitamin A.”
NutriSorb A
Here is where I get to my favorite little white bottle. NutriSorb A is a retinol palimate. It is free of allergic additives and does not contain detergents. One drop of this supplement gives you 2,500 IU fo Retinal as palimate. The ingredients are: Purified water, glycerin, and the Retinol, and that is it!
As I stated earlier, I use this supplement topically. I do this because, if you are hypothyroid, and you use too much vitamin A (digested), I believe that the vitamin can actually be problematic. Topically, however, you are safe.
Most vitamin A supplements (besides the Nutrisorb) are made from fish oil. Fish oil is a PUFA. I will discuss my concern with fish oil in another article. NutriSorb A ensures efficient absorption of Vitamin A in a fashion which is minimally dependent on fat digesting capabilities. Therefore, it is well suited for those who have fat intolerance and exhibit problems in the assimilation of fat soluble nutrients.
NutriSorb A is a micellized liquid preparation in which the Vitamin A readily disperses in water. This greatly facilitates its absorption. The unique NutriSorb process completely avoids detergents or chemicals to solubilize the Vitamin A. All other emulsified and micellized Vitamin A products use surfactants and detergents.
So if you suffer from health conditions related to a vitamin A deficiency like : poor vision, breathing problems, immune weakness, bone loss, acne, dandruff, keratosis pilaris, ask your doctor to give you a blood test for vitamin A and see if you are deficient. Or maybe try a little bit of Nutrisorb A topically and see if it helps.
I have found that my skin is much clearer since I started using the vitamin A and somehow I sleep a bit more soundly. I do think that I was lacking some vitamin A before I found NutriSorb A. I love it!!
If you are not up for a vitamin supplement right now – I get it. Just please make sure to get in a few egg yolks, liver, and/or a good amount of full fat dairy. Vitamin A is SUPER important!!!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.