vit a

Question
hi,
  what are the differences between vit a retinal palmitate and vit a beta carotene.  i know beta carotene is already in the food form to digest and ret. pal. needs to be converted and i know ret. palm. can be toxic in high amounts but as far as nutrition is one better in a supplement or different in any other way or affects any body systems differently in any way?  thanks jade


Answer
Hi Gia,

Retinyl palmitate is the form of vitamin A that is added to foods, like milk.
In animal foods there are different forms of vitamin A (retinyl, retinol, retinal) and the body, likewise, can convert the vitamin A to different forms for use in the eye, for storage, for transport, etc.

Beta carotene is the plant form (also known as pre-vitamin A) and the body can easily convert plant sources (as found in carrots) to all the vitamin A the body needs.  When the body does not need anymore, one can keep eating beta carotene and not experience any adverse effects--except in extreme cases, turning orange from the pigment!  This is reversible when one stops ingesting the beta carotene.

If too much vitamin A is consumed (unlikely, but has happened with supplementing large amounts of cod-liver oil, as liver is a dense source of the vitamin) a toxicity can result.  Vitamin A is fat soluble and is not easily released from the body.

So it could be dangerous to supplement with vitamin A but not with beta carotene.
Neither is better for you because you can easily convert the beta carotene for all you need of vitamin A.  Once in the body as retinol, your body converts back and forth to whatever form is needed for various functions.

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