Deficiencies Of Vitamins E And A In The Rat: Lipofuscin Accumulation In The Choroid

[Jared]

I've been researching the forum as well as the rest of the inter-webs and haven't seen much about this. The reason I've been looking this stuff up is because I just got back from a week long summer vacation where I spent all day, every day, fishing. I covered up well and used sunscreen on hands and face (zinc oxide in coconut oil), however, I developed a lot of skin spots/lipofuscin. I wasn't even close to burning. The only thing I could think of is that I didn't bring my vitamin e, but basically brought all of my other supplements. I have been taking vitamin a (retinyl palmitate) for about 2 years now and I was taking that on the trip. I've only been taking 1-2 capsules though (15,000iu/capsule).

This study seems as though it could explain what may have occurred. I do realize that they were studying the eye ball, but it could apply to skin as well right?

Deficiencies of vitamins E and A in the rat: lipofuscin ... - IOVS

 

[ecstatichamster]

You need E in the presence of A. I think this is what the study shows.

 

[Jared]

Yes, that's what I got from it too. I guess I'm just surprised that with a relatively average/low dose of vitamin A coupled with no vitamin E could produce the lipofuscin so rapidly. It was only 1 week and I had been supplementing vitamin E up to that point. I've seen discussion on the forums about needing to supplement vitamin E when taking high doses of vitamin A, but the dose I was taking was no where near the large doses being discussed. Either way, thanks for chiming in.

 

[lvysaur]

how much/what kinds of fish did you eat?

marine PUFA will induce lipofuscin.

 

[Jared]

We were fishing in freshwater for walleye and northern, but I didn't eat any of it. I haven't eaten much fish if any other than oysters for about 2 years since getting into Ray Peat. Thanks for the input.

 

[Nighteyes]

Maybe iron could be involved here? :) Do you have a high iron intake?

 

[Jared]

Definitely could be Nighteyes although I have been taking some steps to reduce my iron levels the past 1-2 years. Also, I have been gradually accumulating the spots more as I age, but what really confused me this time around was how I accumulated so many and so fast. It seems as though something must have changed dramatically/suddenly for this to occur.

 

[ddjd]

You need E in the presence of A. I think this is what the study shows.

is there a test for E?

 

[Ideonaut]

I just got back from a week long summer vacation where I spent all day, every day, fishing. I covered up well and used sunscreen on hands and face (zinc oxide in coconut oil), however, I developed a lot of skin spots/lipofuscin. I wasn't even close to burning. The only thing I could think of is that I didn't bring my vitamin e, but basically brought all of my other supplements. I have been taking vitamin a (retinyl palmitate) for about 2 years now and I was taking that on the trip. I've only been taking 1-2 capsules though (15,000iu/capsule).

Ha! I just read an update from Grant Genereux, the anti-vitA guy, who has consumed none of it for 8 years and is great health. He says both his daytime and night vision have improved tremendously and speculates "Could it be that my eyes are finally clearing the lifetime accumulation of lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium?" And he refers to "Retinal (vitamin A) based lipofscin accumulation with age."

So he thinks vitamin A causes lipofuscin accumulation, with or without vitamin e. Maybe you should try the fishing trip without taking vitamin A? I'll have to ask Grant what the evidence is that lipofuscin accumulation is retinal based.