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

[youngsinatra]

Retinol Depletion in COVID-19​

Abstract​

Background and aims: COVID-19 has been a devastating pandemic. There are indications that vitamin A is depleted during infections. Vitamin A is important in development and immune homeostasis. It has been used successfully in measles, RSV and AIDS infections. In this study, we aimed to measure the serum retinol levels in severe COVID-19 patients to assess the importance of vitamin A in the COVID-19 pathogenesis.
Methods: The serum retinol level was measured in two groups of patients: the COVID-19 group, which consisted of 27 severe COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit with respiratory failure, and the control group, which consisted of 23 patients without COVID-19 symptoms.
Results: The mean serum retinol levels were 0.37 mg/L in the COVID-19 group and 0.52 mg/L in the control group. The difference between the serum retinol levels in the two groups was statistically significant. There was no significant difference in retinol levels between different ages and genders within the COVID-19 group. Comorbidity did not affect serum retinol levels.
Conclusion: The serum retinol level was significantly lower in patients with severe COVID-19, and this difference was independent of age or underlying comorbidity. Our data show that retinol and retinoic acid signaling might be important in immunopathogenesis of COVID-19.

Retinol Depletion in COVID-19

COVID-19 has been a devastating pandemic. There are indications that vitamin A is depleted during infections. Vitamin A is important in development and immune homeostasis. It has been used successfully in measles, RSV and AIDS infections. In this study, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Well it‘s an association. But a serum retinol of 0.37 mg/L in the COVID-19 group is not even in the deficiency level range. Deficiency is defined as <0.28 mg/L.
Garrett Smith is still not in the deficient range, as shown in the last video where he presented his recent blood work, despite eating a low-vitamin A diet for 3 years.

People with severe COVID-19 are also low in all kinds of vitamins and minerals, that are actually in the deficient range - vitamin D, K2, long-chain omega 3, copper and zinc.

 

[orangebear]

@Mito There are a variety of ways to interpret the results. Is the VA actually depleted or could it be stuck in a congested liver for those with severe COVID-19? There’s also the hypothesis that VA is used as a weapon against pathogens in the body to consider. If VA is a volatile substance that is used to kill pathogens, can it not also harm the body if there is too much of it? Might that be why too much VA is toxic acutely and why a chronic buildup can be toxic as well? One last thing to consider is that perhaps VA on its own isn’t the root of all evil, but it might be problematic for people who have liver issues to start with. The ultimate solution is of course to fix the liver, but if you’re vulnerable to VA overload due to a damaged/congested liver, you might want to make sure you don’t overdo VA in the meantime.

These statements might not all be correct, but these are my general musings on the subject so far. I don’t subscribe to Garrett Smith’s view of VA being a toxin, bar none, but if liver issues are making you VA sensitive, then healing your liver and being mindful of your VA intake while you work on it make sense to me.

 

[Jneet]

Woke up with a headache this morning, went away after some Coffee w/ Cream.
When I went to the bathroom this morning it was loose & yellow with alot of floating green balls which I believe are gallstones (gross I know, apologies). The milk of Magnesia I used yesterday evening triggered them to release I believe. It has something to do with cholestasis.

It is probably for the best for me to reduce my VA intake, I also probably don't do well with excessive fat intake but I cannot stand super lean meat like Garrett recommends so I just won't eat visible fat.

I think for people with poor liver health Vitamin A can be a bad thing but I agree it is most likely not all bad like Garrett proclaims.

Garrett also gets crazy with too many other theories outside of just VA, like for example he was on a tangent demonizing cold water like he does with pretty much everything else except the select foods he deems as ok...

Some of the VA being toxic can have truth to it in some individuals with poor liver health most likely but it would be crazy to take all his advice seriously. I still would take Garrett's advice over the Raw Meat stuff because that makes me want to vomit thinking about it..

 

[orangebear]

I donated blood today and for the first time after I got hypoglycemia which had me nauseous, lightheaded, and sweating like crazy. Probably high adrenaline responding to hypoglycemia. I wonder if the low VA diet is missing too many things that would normally let me shrug off a blood donation like it was nothing.

 

[Ippodrom47]

Hi! Need some advice.

I had carotenemia around a year and a half ago (ate lots of carrots and greens daily, in addition to being vitamin A toxic from consuming excessive liver/cod liver/eggs previously). I had all symptoms of vitamin A toxicity prior to that - severely dry skin and eyes, mental issues, low WBC, insomnia, high calcium. In May 2021 I ditched virtually all beta-carotene products.

I didn't test my levels back then.

Now, after a year of being strictly on a low-carotene diet, I can't figure out why my levels keep rising. The results are:

December 2021 - 527.00 ng/mL

March 2022 - 562.00 ng/mL

June 2022 - 618.00 ng/mL

I have a heterozygous BCMO1 gene mutation, but that doesn't explain why it keeps rising. I mostly eat grains, bananas, some seeds, chicken, some lentils/potatoes pies. No veggies or greens of any kind, zero dairy. My thyroid ultrasound and tests are all okay, and I'm not hypothyroid. My skin color is normal now and has been so since stopping eating carrots and greens (it took several weeks for the carotemenia to resolve itself).

I'm fatigued as hell and still have digestive issues.

Can it be from eating bananas (3-4 a day) for the past 6 months? I know they're low carotene, but can it simply add up? I also feel better after a blood draw, but can't donate now as I feel it'll make matters worse.

 

[Blossom]

Hi! Need some advice.

I had carotenemia around a year and a half ago (ate lots of carrots and greens daily, in addition to being vitamin A toxic from consuming excessive liver/cod liver/eggs previously). I had all symptoms of vitamin A toxicity prior to that - severely dry skin and eyes, mental issues, low WBC, insomnia, high calcium. In May 2021 I ditched virtually all beta-carotene products.

I didn't test my levels back then.

Now, after a year of being strictly on a low-carotene diet, I can't figure out why my levels keep rising. The results are:

December 2021 - 527.00 ng/mL

March 2022 - 562.00 ng/mL

June 2022 - 618.00 ng/mL

I have a heterozygous BCMO1 gene mutation, but that doesn't explain why it keeps rising. I mostly eat grains, bananas, some seeds, chicken, some lentils/potatoes pies. No veggies or greens of any kind, zero dairy. My thyroid ultrasound and tests are all okay, and I'm not hypothyroid. My skin color is normal now and has been so since stopping eating carrots and greens (it took several weeks for the carotemenia to resolve itself).

I'm fatigued as hell and still have digestive issues.

Can it be from eating bananas (3-4 a day) for the past 6 months? I know they're low carotene, but can it simply add up? I also feel better after a blood draw, but can't donate now as I feel it'll make matters worse.

I’ve read about the experiences of a few people in the low ‘a’ groups who saw their levels rise initially after starting a low ‘a’ diet. Hopefully someone here knows more details and will chime in. You aren’t the only on though.

 

[Max23]

Hi! Need some advice.

I had carotenemia around a year and a half ago (ate lots of carrots and greens daily, in addition to being vitamin A toxic from consuming excessive liver/cod liver/eggs previously). I had all symptoms of vitamin A toxicity prior to that - severely dry skin and eyes, mental issues, low WBC, insomnia, high calcium. In May 2021 I ditched virtually all beta-carotene products.

I didn't test my levels back then.

Now, after a year of being strictly on a low-carotene diet, I can't figure out why my levels keep rising. The results are:

December 2021 - 527.00 ng/mL

March 2022 - 562.00 ng/mL

June 2022 - 618.00 ng/mL

I have a heterozygous BCMO1 gene mutation, but that doesn't explain why it keeps rising. I mostly eat grains, bananas, some seeds, chicken, some lentils/potatoes pies. No veggies or greens of any kind, zero dairy. My thyroid ultrasound and tests are all okay, and I'm not hypothyroid. My skin color is normal now and has been so since stopping eating carrots and greens (it took several weeks for the carotemenia to resolve itself).

I'm fatigued as hell and still have digestive issues.

Can it be from eating bananas (3-4 a day) for the past 6 months? I know they're low carotene, but can it simply add up? I also feel better after a blood draw, but can't donate now as I feel it'll make matters worse.

What about gluten? Have you tried going without? It can cause intestinal inflammation so the bile can not get out. Stool should be also monitored to see if it is brown and big enough for the bile to get out properly. And what about beans? Do they help make the stool more normal and bind bile? Or are they problematic as well? Bananas can be an issue, they may be allergenic. For me they cause skin problems.

 

[Ippodrom47]

What about gluten? Have you tried going without? It can cause intestinal inflammation so the bile can not get out. Stool should be also monitored to see if it is brown and big enough for the bile to get out properly. And what about beans? Do they help make the stool more normal and bind bile? Or are they problematic as well? Bananas can be an issue, they may be allergenic. For me they cause skin problems.

Hi! By intestinal inflammation do you mean colitis? Vitamin A and beta-carotene overdose definitely gave me colon inflammation, which was confirmed by the presence of leukocytes in stool. However, calprotectin and CRP are both okay. I would say that eating so much bakery and gluten affects my digestion in a negative way. However, I don't know what to eat instead: rice gives me high arsenic (220 mcg/L in urine several weeks after ditching it, also white spots on nails), too much beef and meat in general cause high iron due to a hemochromatosis mutation (I'm lucky it's heterozygous, though), buckwheat is okay but lots of it leads to copper overload. Also, my ceruloplasmin is low (167, normal >200), and I don't know why. I try to eat enough protein.
Also also, if I eat foods high in iodine (fish, seafood, even turkey), I feel really bad and all symptoms of vitamin A overload come back - dry eyes, fatigue, mood swings. I think that my thyroid starts to do its job pretty well in the presence of iodine, and tries to convert as much carotene to retinol as possible - which is not a great way to go, given my previous retinol overload.
I don't have any food allergies at all.

 

[charlie]

Hi! By intestinal inflammation do you mean colitis? Vitamin A and beta-carotene overdose definitely gave me colon inflammation, which was confirmed by the presence of leukocytes in stool. However, calprotectin and CRP are both okay. I would say that eating so much bakery and gluten affects my digestion in a negative way. However, I don't know what to eat instead: rice gives me high arsenic (220 mcg/L in urine several weeks after ditching it, also white spots on nails), too much beef and meat in general cause high iron due to a hemochromatosis mutation (I'm lucky it's heterozygous, though), buckwheat is okay but lots of it leads to copper overload. Also, my ceruloplasmin is low (167, normal >200), and I don't know why. I try to eat enough protein.
Also also, if I eat foods high in iodine (fish, seafood, even turkey), I feel really bad and all symptoms of vitamin A overload come back - dry eyes, fatigue, mood swings. I think that my thyroid starts to do its job pretty well in the presence of iodine, and tries to convert as much carotene to retinol as possible - which is not a great way to go, given my previous retinol overload.
I don't have any food allergies at all.

Have you tried sourdough bread made from Einkorn flour?

 

[youngsinatra]

Hi! By intestinal inflammation do you mean colitis? Vitamin A and beta-carotene overdose definitely gave me colon inflammation, which was confirmed by the presence of leukocytes in stool. However, calprotectin and CRP are both okay. I would say that eating so much bakery and gluten affects my digestion in a negative way. However, I don't know what to eat instead: rice gives me high arsenic (220 mcg/L in urine several weeks after ditching it, also white spots on nails), too much beef and meat in general cause high iron due to a hemochromatosis mutation (I'm lucky it's heterozygous, though), buckwheat is okay but lots of it leads to copper overload. Also, my ceruloplasmin is low (167, normal >200), and I don't know why. I try to eat enough protein.
Also also, if I eat foods high in iodine (fish, seafood, even turkey), I feel really bad and all symptoms of vitamin A overload come back - dry eyes, fatigue, mood swings. I think that my thyroid starts to do its job pretty well in the presence of iodine, and tries to convert as much carotene to retinol as possible - which is not a great way to go, given my previous retinol overload.
I don't have any food allergies at all.

Did you try washing the white rice (or did you use brown?) 6 times with hot water, then cooking it in excess water, then drain it off?

Other people recommend soaking the rice in cold water and vinegar 8h, drain it and then cook it.

 

[Ippodrom47]

Have you tried sourdough bread made from Einkorn flour?

Hi! I also developed interstitial cystitis after vitamin A overdose, so no sour products for me for the time being.

Did you try washing the white rice (or did you use brown?) 6 times with hot water, then cooking it in excess water, then drain it off?

Other people recommend soaking the rice in cold water and vinegar 8h, drain it and then cook it.

Nein, I only got it from cafeterias, and I highly doubt they'll go to such lengths to prepare it safely.

 

[SamYo123]

Hi! By intestinal inflammation do you mean colitis? Vitamin A and beta-carotene overdose definitely gave me colon inflammation, which was confirmed by the presence of leukocytes in stool. However, calprotectin and CRP are both okay. I would say that eating so much bakery and gluten affects my digestion in a negative way. However, I don't know what to eat instead: rice gives me high arsenic (220 mcg/L in urine several weeks after ditching it, also white spots on nails), too much beef and meat in general cause high iron due to a hemochromatosis mutation (I'm lucky it's heterozygous, though), buckwheat is okay but lots of it leads to copper overload. Also, my ceruloplasmin is low (167, normal >200), and I don't know why. I try to eat enough protein.
Also also, if I eat foods high in iodine (fish, seafood, even turkey), I feel really bad and all symptoms of vitamin A overload come back - dry eyes, fatigue, mood swings. I think that my thyroid starts to do its job pretty well in the presence of iodine, and tries to convert as much carotene to retinol as possible - which is not a great way to go, given my previous retinol overload.
I don't have any food allergies at all.

what are ur symptoms of colon inflammation

 

[Ippodrom47]

what are ur symptoms of colon inflammation

My most noticeable symptom of any inflammation is severe fatigue and dizziness. With colon inflammation, even passing a stool causes this. Sometimes I can feel a burning sensation somewhere there.

 

[Max23]

Hi! By intestinal inflammation do you mean colitis? Vitamin A and beta-carotene overdose definitely gave me colon inflammation, which was confirmed by the presence of leukocytes in stool. However, calprotectin and CRP are both okay. I would say that eating so much bakery and gluten affects my digestion in a negative way. However, I don't know what to eat instead: rice gives me high arsenic (220 mcg/L in urine several weeks after ditching it, also white spots on nails), too much beef and meat in general cause high iron due to a hemochromatosis mutation (I'm lucky it's heterozygous, though), buckwheat is okay but lots of it leads to copper overload. Also, my ceruloplasmin is low (167, normal >200), and I don't know why. I try to eat enough protein.
Also also, if I eat foods high in iodine (fish, seafood, even turkey), I feel really bad and all symptoms of vitamin A overload come back - dry eyes, fatigue, mood swings. I think that my thyroid starts to do its job pretty well in the presence of iodine, and tries to convert as much carotene to retinol as possible - which is not a great way to go, given my previous retinol overload.
I don't have any food allergies at all.

I am on the low vitamin A diet and have replaced gluten with potatoing hard, gluten free bread, rice, pears, grapes, jam, honey, perries, perry jams, sweet drinks, mushrooms and occasional white vegetables like cauliflower, leeks, onions, black radishes, radishes, parsnips. Also rutabagas. Bananas and apples don´t really work for me. Beans if you tolerate then, could be an additonal source of protein. Garrett Smith doesn´t recommend all of them, but they are low vitamin A. You could try no gluten just for two weeks and see if it improves your problems and bile dumping.

For protein I chicken hard, also eat some beef and seafood. There is plenty of stuff to eat you just have to find them.

By intestinal inflammation I mean a low grade, chronic inflammation anywhere in the intestines or even in the bile ducts, which could be caused by a number of things, including vitamin A.

 

[Ippodrom47]

I am on the low vitamin A diet and have replaced gluten with potatoing hard, gluten free bread, rice, pears, grapes, jam, honey, perries, perry jams, sweet drinks, mushrooms and occasional white vegetables like cauliflower, leeks, onions, black radishes, radishes, parsnips. Also rutabagas. Bananas and apples don´t really work for me. Beans if you tolerate then, could be an additonal source of protein. Garrett Smith doesn´t recommend all of them, but they are low vitamin A. You could try no gluten just for two weeks and see if it improves your problems and bile dumping.

For protein I chicken hard, also eat some beef and seafood. There is plenty of stuff to eat you just have to find them.

By intestinal inflammation I mean a low grade, chronic inflammation anywhere in the intestines or even in the bile ducts, which could be caused by a number of things, including vitamin A.

Thanks very much! Does it make sense that vitamin A overload can indeed be causing me the following ailments: eye chalazions, very dry eyes, peeling skin on the skull (it was so serious at one point that I was embarrassed to get my hair cut), extreme fatigue, gastritis, colon inflammation, low thyroid, histamine issues? Before eating large amount of liver, I was very healthy, but then it all went downhill from there.
Also, will high-sensitive CRP test detect low-grade inflammation?

 

[Max23]

Thanks very much! Does it make sense that vitamin A overload can indeed be causing me the following ailments: eye chalazions, very dry eyes, peeling skin on the skull (it was so serious at one point that I was embarrassed to get my hair cut), extreme fatigue, gastritis, colon inflammation, low thyroid, histamine issues? Before eating large amount of liver, I was very healthy, but then it all went downhill from there.
Also, will high-sensitive CRP test detect low-grade inflammation?

You are welcome!

In theory vitamin A overload can cause those problems, but it might not or it might not be the only problem. Infections, allergies (they can occur as intolerances or with atypical symptoms as well), vaccine injuries and genetic problems are to be suspected as well. With eye chalazaions I don´t really know why they happen. For me they appear mostly when the body is recovering or has recovered from an infection.

I don´t think a CRP test can tell you that there is particularly intestinal inflammation. It is easier to watch the stool, whether it sinks, is fuzzy, offcolor and so on. For me very telling about intestinal health were the bloodtests of bilirubin, iron and homocysteine.

I don´t know if you watch Garrett Smith´s livestream, but from there you can at least get ideas or piece together a story about what is going on with your health. He talks a lot about copper toxicity as well and ceruloplasmin. I don´t recall what his theory about the latter was. A lot of people don´t seem to like him, but his view about health is definitely intriguing and it is possible to pick up health info from him.

 

[charlie]

Nein, I only got it from cafeterias, and I highly doubt they'll go to such lengths to prepare it safely.

Might be able to get the flour and make it yourself.

 

[Blossom]

@Ippodrom47, I’m not sure of your location but I’ve seen einkorn flour at my local Whole Foods. You could probably find it online as well. I’ve been doing well rotating in various white corn products like grits, hominy etc.

 

[Blossom]

Hi! I also developed interstitial cystitis after vitamin A overdose, so no sour products for me for the time being.

Have you considered a possible oxalate connection with the interstitial cystitis?

 

[Ippodrom47]

Have you considered a possible oxalate connection with the interstitial cystitis?

Hi! I have some triggers, but it definitely developed with vitamin A overload. I had ZERO health issue before that, and now I have what seems to be an infinite number of them.
It was a very gradual process as I was not recognizing that I was hurting myself eating large quantities of liver, canned cod liver, eggs, dairy, carrots and other vegetables on a daily basis (the livers were several times a week, though, which is still a huge amount of vitamin A). I developed intolerance to cod liver first (I remember having massive tachycardia and a severe panic attach after having a single bite of sandwich with cod liver one morning, which lasted for an hour or so), then chicken/beef liver were out of my menu (started to get very fatigued and anxious after them), but I continued to eat eggs, dairy and lots of greens and carrots before my skin finally turned very yellow and docs started to ask if I had hepatitis (which I never had). By then I felt freezing cold every day with very low free T3 (did I say I also was a huge fan of raw bok choy, which is a potent goitrogen), had very sluggish bowel (having dolichosigma from birth only added fuel to the fire), terrible mood swings, anxiety and brain fog.
Luckily, people here helped me figure out that it was beta-carotene and vitamin A that were causing all that, and I stopped eating carrots, all greens, pumpkins, etc.
However, it seems that I may have a long road ahead of me.