The forthcoming New England Journal of Medicine
article on the possible relationship between the
consumption of vitamin A at levels at, or above,
10,000 IU (200% of the Daily Value, or DV)
or 3000 Retinol equivalents (REs) and some types
of birth defectsraises serious public health concerns.
A relationship between vitamin A intakes and birth
defects has been known for some time,
but the level of vitamin A that was associated with
earlierstudies was much higher than the levels
indicated by the newstudy.
As a precautionary measure, FDA has several
recommendationsfor women of child-bearing age
relative to consuming foods containing vitamin A,
including dietary supplements.
First, the form of vitamin A that is of concern
is pre-formed vitamin A. Pre-formed vitamin A
is found in animalproducts, primarily liver,
and also may be added to fortifiedfoods such as
breakfast cereals and dietary supplements.
(Examples of pre-formed vitamin A include retinyl
palmitate andretinyl acetate, which are found in
the products' ingredient
Women need to limit their intakes to about 100% of
the DV for pre-formed vitamin A from these sources of
this nutrient.
On the other hand, beta-carotene is a substance
found naturally in plants, and it can be converted
to vitamin A in the body. It is considerably less
toxic than the pre-formed vitamin A. Therefore,
women of child-bearing age are advised to choose
fortified foods that contain vitamin A in the form
of beta-carotene rather than pre-formed vitamin A,
whenever possible.
The vitamin A in fruits and vegetables is naturally
in the form of beta-carotene, and high intakes of
vitamin A from these sources is generally not of
concern.
Finally, vitamin A is an essential nutrient and,
as with all nutrients, the good health of women
throughout child-bearing
years, including during pregnancy, is dependent on
consuming needed amounts of this nutrient.
Taking too little vitamin A can result in adverse
effects just as can taking in too much.
The key is in finding the "right amount" through
carefully reading product nutrition labeling.
