Low Toxin Diet Grant Genereux's Theory Of Vitamin A Toxicity

[Kyle Bigman]

This seems to be his latest free ebook:

https://ggenereux.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/poisoningforprofits.pdf

It is very well written... (At least that which I have read so far!).

I recently stumbled across the blog of Grant Genereux, an engineer from Canada, wherein he recounts his story of how he cured himself of severe eczema as well as chronic fatigue and brain fog with an elimination diet.

But that's just the beginning of it, because he has also done what I consider to be a genius work of health / nutritional investigation and he puts forth a compelling theory that Vitamin A is the root cause of the autoimmune diseases (eczema, diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's, Celiac, Crohn's / IBD, etc.) and is also likely to be a major contributor to depression, chronic fatigue, cancer and obesity.

He presents the case that Vitamin A (i.e. retinol) has been misunderstood since it's initial discovery due to botched experiments by the original scientists and that this misunderstanding has essentially become entrenched in nutritional science because subsequent researchers either repeated the original mistake or dismissed their contrary findings to support the original conclusion.

In short, his theory is that "Vitamin A" is not a vitamin at all, and is actually a toxin and that our bodies are equipped to safely store and utilize the substance in appropriate amounts, but when the body exceeds its storage capacity for the substance (which is primarily stored in the liver) the body has to store it in other organs and tissues (because its fat-soluble and cannot be easily excreted) and that's when it wreaks havoc on the organs and tissues and slowly destroys your body from the inside out (which we observe as "autoimmune diseases").

Vitamin A is recognized by mainstream medicine to be toxic in excess (see: Hypervitaminosis A) but part of Grant's theory is that it is way more damaging than they realize because it accumulates over time, and we can reach toxic levels the substance over time just by consuming more of it than the body can safely store / utilize.

The theory sounds preposterous at first — but if you think about it, that's only because we assume that the scientists were smart people who did good research and any substance identified as a "vitamin" must surely be so — but if you read his research, I think you'll find that he presents a small mountain of evidence to back up his theory and that the mainstream theory has giant holes in it that most people are not aware of.

Here is a link to the post where he introduces his theory: Ending the Mystery of Autoimmune

Also, I know that my personal anecdote does not prove anything, per se, but I will add that I found this theory very compelling and so I gave it a try, and I could give much more detail, but the short version of my experience is: I completely dropped my previous Peat-inspired diet and went on a minimal vitamin A diet and within about 3 and a half months it has essentially cured my chronic fatigue and depression as well as improved or eliminated a myriad of other symptoms. I'm not saying I'm feeling perfect but it has been a dramatic reversal. I feel like my health was taking a dive for a decade — going into a steeper nosedive with each passing year — and it wasn't until trying this elimination diet that I've been able to "pull up" and start gaining altitude, to start genuinely healing.

I have been experimenting with diet and supplements and hormones for almost a decade now, trying to reverse my declining health, and I have never had a dramatic healing experience like this. And the amazing part is, I didn't add anything, I only subtracted things. I stopped taking thyroid, stopped any hormones, pretty much stopped all supplements (except for some infrequent B and K vitamins and some minerals).

All I did was stop everything else and just eat a vitamin A elimination diet — which in practice for me mostly meant: no more orange juice, no more dairy, no eggs, no pork. I mostly just ate beef and rice / bread / potatoes and coconut oil and some apple juice — and some other minimal vitamin A flavorings like onions, garlic, olive oil vinaigrettes, etc. Also less often I ate other low-retinol meats like chicken and tilapia.

I may write up my personal experience in more detail later, but for now I'm just trying to urge people to read Genereux's material and I am hoping to get some discussion going on his research and his vitamin A toxicity theory. Thanks for reading.

ADDENDUM:

If you want to skip the introduction linked above and download his books on the subject directly, here are the links. Here is a quote from Genereux about them:

"I am publishing this in a free eBook ... I’ve put this information into an eBook form because it is now just way too long to include in a blog post. The book is entirely free. There are no hooks or catches to it. There is no advertising, or any monetary gain in this book for me, or anyone else. The only cost to you is your time in reading it. This book is intended for the people who have these diseases, and for their families."

Extinguishing the Fires of Hell (2015)
https://ggenereux.blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/extinguishing-the-fires-of-hell2.pdf

Poisoning For Profits (2017)
https://ggenereux.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/poisoningforprofits.pdf

I am struggling right now with autoimmune symptoms. Very severe knee arthritis pain, as well as mouth ulcerations. I also have a cold and thought this to be related. I have been trying to figure out what I have been doing differently and I have actually been supplementing with estroban (with Vit. A). Also, I recall 2 weeks ago having chicken liver and the morning after having severe arthritis in my toe. I follow a very Peatarian diet, with lots of milk and yogurt, eggs, o.j., etc. The idea that it could be vitamin A toxicity never occurred to me.

 

[Hans]

Are you balancing it with vit D and E?
Are you consuming niacinamide?

 

[Blossom]

I am struggling right now with autoimmune symptoms. Very severe knee arthritis pain, as well as mouth ulcerations. I also have a cold and thought this to be related. I have been trying to figure out what I have been doing differently and I have actually been supplementing with estroban (with Vit. A). Also, I recall 2 weeks ago having chicken liver and the morning after having severe arthritis in my toe. I follow a very Peatarian diet, with lots of milk and yogurt, eggs, o.j., etc. The idea that it could be vitamin A toxicity never occurred to me.

What's your age if I may ask?

 

[Kyle Bigman]

What's your age if I may ask?

I'm 25 years old.

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Are you balancing it with vit D and E?
Are you consuming niacinamide?

I do take niacinamide. I take estroban which has 2,000 IU vitamin D in it, along with 5,000 IU Vitamin A and 2mg vitamin K2.

 

[Blossom]

I'm 25 years old.

Thanks, per Mr. Genereux's theory you are not in the most common age range for toxicity to occur but that doesn't mean it's impossible. The best I can offer is to refer you to forum member Ella's posts on vitamin A. Here's one informative post and you can use the search function to find several more.
Thoughts & Concerns On Retinyl Acetate

 

[raypeatclips]

I am struggling right now with autoimmune symptoms. Very severe knee arthritis pain, as well as mouth ulcerations. I also have a cold and thought this to be related. I have been trying to figure out what I have been doing differently and I have actually been supplementing with estroban (with Vit. A). Also, I recall 2 weeks ago having chicken liver and the morning after having severe arthritis in my toe. I follow a very Peatarian diet, with lots of milk and yogurt, eggs, o.j., etc. The idea that it could be vitamin A toxicity never occurred to me.

Have you had your vitamin D tested at all? Looking at your posts you are post finasteride, right? Do you not think it's more related to that?

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Vitamin D was normal last I checked. I considered the possibility of finasteride as well. I am just hoping it is something I can fix with diet :/

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Thanks, per Mr. Genereux's theory you are not in the most common age range for toxicity to occur but that doesn't mean it's impossible. The best I can offer is to refer you to forum member Ella's posts on vitamin A. Here's one informative post and you can use the search function to find several more.
Thoughts & Concerns On Retinyl Acetate

thank you blossom; I am going to stop estroban for a while and see if I improve.

 

[Blossom]

thank you blossom; I am going to stop estroban for a while and see if I improve.

You're welcome. I don't think it's an issue for everyone but it seems it is for some. Whether the root issue is low vitamin D, hypothyroidism, simply consuming too much A relative to a person's need or something else is the question and only the person experiencing issues can figure that out. Best wishes, I hope you get some relief.

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Today was the second day of my low vitamin A diet. immediately after eating a large piece of steak for dinner, I got more of the inflammation in my knees and in my toe. It gets red and is tender as well, so I immediately thought it could be gout. It seems to improve with walking, slightly, so I wonder if it is dislodging crystals of uric acid? Anyways, I just glanced over this study https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...bmed/2068576&usg=AOvVaw2rLLPNGf0KHXBKG9X3HE4M. It concludes that high vitamin A levels were positively correlated with gout, but high beta-carotene version of VA was inversely correlated with gout.

I am trying to square this with Grant Genereux's theory of Vitamin A toxicity, but am having difficulty understanding vitamin A metabolism by xanthine oxidase, and the connection between vitamin A toxicity and gout. Is gout really vitamin A toxicity disguised as uric acid inflammation (we know that uric acid is an antioxidant with protective benefits)? What is the connection?

I am going to persist on this diet but am very afraid to eat meat because it is somewhat high in purines. But that really messes with me because on the VA deplete diet you can't really eat beta-carotene containing foods... so I am quite limited and not sure what to do. I find it hard to believe that my diet could have lead to gout, because I would maybe consume 4-8 oz. of beef 3x per week, and then focus on chicken and vegetables, milk, dairy, o.j., essentially a very "normal" diet. Therefore, I assume something else with my metabolism must be very wrong.

If any of you have thoughts, I would appreciate it.

 

[Hans]

Today was the second day of my low vitamin A diet. immediately after eating a large piece of steak for dinner, I got more of the inflammation in my knees and in my toe. It gets red and is tender as well, so I immediately thought it could be gout. It seems to improve with walking, slightly, so I wonder if it is dislodging crystals of uric acid? Anyways, I just glanced over this study https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg6LLjuo_eAhVr1oMKHY97CFEQFjAAegQICBAB&url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2068576&usg=AOvVaw2rLLPNGf0KHXBKG9X3HE4M. It concludes that high vitamin A levels were positively correlated with gout, but high beta-carotene version of VA was inversely correlated with gout.

I am trying to square this with Grant Genereux's theory of Vitamin A toxicity, but am having difficulty understanding vitamin A metabolism by xanthine oxidase, and the connection between vitamin A toxicity and gout. Is gout really vitamin A toxicity disguised as uric acid inflammation (we know that uric acid is an antioxidant with protective benefits)? What is the connection?

I am going to persist on this diet but am very afraid to eat meat because it is somewhat high in purines. But that really messes with me because on the VA deplete diet you can't really eat beta-carotene containing foods... so I am quite limited and not sure what to do. I find it hard to believe that my diet could have lead to gout, because I would maybe consume 4-8 oz. of beef 3x per week, and then focus on chicken and vegetables, milk, dairy, o.j., essentially a very "normal" diet. Therefore, I assume something else with my metabolism must be very wrong.

If any of you have thoughts, I would appreciate it.

How is your calcium phosphate ratio? And your protein and carb ratio?

 

[Blossom]

In addition to @Salmonamb's important points I also think it's wise to balance muscle meat with gelatin. I try to have either oxtail or collagen every day. Occasionally I have scallops for a glycine rich source of protein.

 

[Kyle Bigman]

I would say I was eating a higher calcium diet if anything with a lot of milk and yogurt.

I probably consume more 50/50 carbs and protein but maybe some days more protein.

 

[Blossom]

Thanks, per Mr. Genereux's theory you are not in the most common age range for toxicity to occur but that doesn't mean it's impossible. The best I can offer is to refer you to forum member Ella's posts on vitamin A. Here's one informative post and you can use the search function to find several more.
Thoughts & Concerns On Retinyl Acetate

I need to correct myself. From ETFOH page 97
"Please have a close look at the chart above of liver volume by age. There is a significant natural decline in liver volume starting about age 25 and another drop starting around age 50."

 

[Kyle Bigman]

That is a steep decline! Very odd and somewhat concerning.

 

[tara]

so he writes a book on health claiming heat cures everything and eating cheeseburgers and pizza and cookies all day and no liquids

That's not quite what I thought his book said.

Genereux' theory requires you to assume the body does incredibly dumb things by design.

I'm pretty sceptical about this vit-A-is-not-a-vitamin theory.
And I think the human body is amazing!
But I do think there might be room for improvement in the design - some features/mechanisms don't look the smartest from where I am. :)

I looked at what the guy's diet might mark up as....not bad to be honest:

If his meat is fresh enough, he might be lucky enough to avoid scurvy?

immediately after eating a large piece of steak for dinner, I got more of the inflammation in my knees and in my toe. It gets red and is tender as well, so I immediately thought it could be gout.

If it got worse after eating meat, you could try reducing meat for a couple of days and see it it improves?

 

[burtlancast]

I'm pretty sceptical about this vit-A-is-not-a-vitamin theory.
And I think the human body is amazing!
But I do think there might be room for improvement in the design - some features/mechanisms don't look the smartest from where I am. :)

How gracious from you informing the rest of us !

It really got me thinking about those pesky, less-than-perfect, un-smart body mechanisms !

Who would have thought ?

 

[Kyle Bigman]

It sounds like an absurd theory, but somehow the diet is helping me. I ate yogurt last night and this morning have joint pain, but when I avoid retinol products (beta-carotene seems fine) I feel better. Could also be a sheer coincidence or some other issue.

 

[tara]

I ate yogurt last night and this morning have joint pain, but when I avoid retinol products (beta-carotene seems fine) I feel better. Could also be a sheer coincidence or some other issue.

How do you do when you avoid dairy proteins/histamine/lactic acid (/and depending on the quality of the yogurt, fillers etc - round here the commercial yogurts sometimes have gums etc)?