Re: Retinol question - Chris???

December 17, 2006

On 12/17/06, haecklers <haecklers@...> wrote:

> It's here:

> 100 grams of egg while my cod liver oil is in IU.

>

> How would I figure out how many eggs to eat a day (pastured hens) to

> get the equivalent amount of retinol as in cod liver oil??

Just multiply the microgram amount by 3.33.

> And I did

> notice that the Mother Earth News article measured beta-carotene and

> not retinol, which is odd because other sources say retinol comes

> from animal sources, so do eggs have both?

Eggs and milk contain carotenoids and the other pigments found in the

vegetable matter eaten by the animal. They are much more bioavailable

from animal foods than vegetable foods because they are in an oily

matrix instead of a fibrous matrix. Animal foods also contain

retinol, unlike plant foods. Carotenes in an oily matrix can

generally be a source of vitamin A, but they are not a reliable source

and there is no consistency in conversion rates between individuals

whatsoever, so any attempt to calculate a vitamin A yield is simply

based on averages and you will have no idea whether you represent the

average yourself or not. Therefore, if you are trying to guarantee

yourself a certain intake of vitamin A, you should ignore the carotene

contribution entirely.

As a side note that only applies to carotene supplements -- excessive

doses of beta-carotene on the order of 20-30 mg (note this is

20,000-30,000 micrograms)are more carcinogenic than cigarette smoking,

and actually deplete lung tissue of activated vitamin A.

Chris

--

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