Supplementing Vitamin A in Former Smokers

[messtafarian]

Yesterday I was reading some studies here about vitamin A in current and former smokers. I would call myself sort of...both. But according to Peat recommendations one should be getting some vitamin A in liver and if not then in supplemental form. I bought some nutrisorb A and also got a prescription for a topical retinol, thinking these would cover the fact that I don't want to eat liver, and I've been thinking about ordering a glandular supplement.

All of this kind of shut down when I read the vitamin A studies, which said that in smokers the retinoids increased incidence of *death* by 28 percent inside a 49 month study, which was stopped due to, you know, the *deaths*. Maybe best to just stay away from it completely?

Also what about A and D additives in commercial milk?

 

[j.]

What's the study? I googled and found this:

Contemporaneous studies found that smokers who took a Vitamin A supplement (Beta-Carotene) had increased risk of lung cancer and mortality

Vitamin A and beta carotene are different substances in Peat World. Beta carotene is harmful so that result is expected. Liver is a good source of vitamin A, not carotene.

 

[messtafarian]

Here's one of them, j. --

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19153339

It doesn't seem, from scanning the literature, that beta carotene is the only bad player here. All forms of Vitamin A seem to be implicated in one way or another. One could argue that this is a function of Vitamin A overdose in a vulnerable population; but regardless it doesn't look very good.

 

[j.]

I don't think that's retinol, which is what Peat advises.

This is similar to the progesterone issue. Whatever faults progestins have, I don't think they're relevant to Peat's recommendation.

 

[j.]

It doesn't seem, from scanning the literature, that beta carotene is the only bad player here.

That other bad player, tretinoin, is also something Peat doesn't advise.

 

[messtafarian]

Well, I'm happy to hear that retinol is okay since it's part of all kinds of cosmetic formulations for anti-aging skin. But the last ingredient on the tube of stuff they just sold me at the dermatologist is beta carotene, as a colorant.

Sometimes I feel like the cosmetics industry is out to kill me.

 

[j.]

Peat himself cites some of the studies you're citing to support his position that one shouldn't take altered forms of vitamin A. Link

 

[messtafarian]

I think I'm just going to go back to this guy:

http://www.reverseskinaging.com/

True scientist, and that's always so much safer.

 

[Gabriel]

When you are currently smoking I would advise against taking supplemental Vitamin A. In these trials the biggest problem was that Vitamin A increased the rate of lung cancers. It is possible that the Vitamin A is destroyed by the smoke in the lungs and oxidized Vitamin A is then carcinogenic for the lung cells.

There is evidence that Retinol is similarly problematic as beta-carotene while smoking (see this study).

Is there any reason for you to supplement Vitamin A?

 

[messtafarian]

Not at all. In fact I never have. I've just been reading Peat and realizing I don't get any; and that the liver is recommended for Vitamin A. I am now concerned about the A and D additives in milk, though. And that's a drag, because there is no source for nonfortified milk where I live.

 

[Gabriel]

I'd personally avoid all Vitamin A supplements while smoking. If you don't deal with acne (main reason to supplement vitamin a) and you don't like liver, just stick with eggs, butter, cheese and full-fat milk (all of those are good sources of retinol).

Eggs ~500-800 IE Retinol per 100g
Butter ~2500 IE Retinol per 100g
Gruyere Cheese ~1000 IE Retinol per 100g
Whole-fat milk ~150 IE Retinol per 100g

 

[j.]

If you don't get acne or dandruff or vitamin A deficiency symptoms, it would be hard to figure out the dose, because you wouldn't be able to be guided by the symptoms. Since the right dose is hard to figure out, maybe it's best to not supplement. My acne and dandruff are extremely sensitive to my vitamin A intake and supplementation, so I can figure it out when I have to take more or less.

 

[Parsifal]

astonishingly bad experience after vitamin A

Why do some people in health circles say that smoking with synthetic vitamin A is bad?