Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik
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 ADVERSE REACTIONS
High intakes of vitamin a may cause acute or chronic toxicity, (see overdosage for acute toxicity). Symptoms and signs of chronic toxicity, include dry rough skin, cracked lips, sparse coarse hair and alopecia of the eyebrows. These are early signs. Late symptoms and signs, include irritability, headache, pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension), elevated serum liver enzymes, reversible noncir-rhotic portal hypertension, hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. There are a few reports of death secondary to liver failure. |
Gary Null
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 Selenium also protects vitamin a, another warrior against infection, from oxidation.22"31
While we are on the subject of where selenium works, we should also discuss where it is stored. Your greatest stores of selenium are to be found in your vital organs: the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and sex glands (particularly if you are a man).32'36
Who Needs Selenium?
While everyone needs selenium on an everyday basis, there are certain situations in which the human need for selenium may be increased, or in which additional selenium may be helpful in the treatment of a disease. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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 Because the medical profession in general does not believe that cancer is caused by a lack of nutrients, one could predict serious difficulty for therapies such as laetrile, vitamin C, vitamin a, or abscisic acid, which claim to restore some lost nutritional element.
Similarly, it is a dogma that cancer is not caused by a microbe. This, supposedly, was disproven many years ago. The fact that a scientist like Virginia Livingston claims to have new evidence makes little impression on doctors who were educated to believe that this theory is passe. |
Stephen Fried
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 Retin-A ended up at Johnson & Johnson's Ortho dermatological division even though, according to Kligman, most of the research had been done with vitamin a provided free by Hoffmann-LaRoche. "I gave a little talk there and said, 'This stuff is interesting. It works on acne. We ought to link up,' " he recalled. "They didn't have the slightest interest. On the way back from my talk, I drove past Johnson & Johnson [in New Brunswick] and stopped to see a friend there. I said, T just came from those schmucks up there. Are you interested?' He said, 'Let's do it. |
| He initially believed that vitamin a acid would eliminate pimples by slowing the normal process by which skin cells slough off. He later came to think that it instead normalizes that process and prevents cells from coming together to make a pimple in the first place.
Kligman realized his future wasn't in treating patients full time. He was an inventor, a teacher, a proselytizer and a damn colorful guy who, in his free time, became a world authority on mushrooms. He also had a real gift for getting research grants. In fact, he may have been too good at it. |
| One thing he tried was vitamin a, which he started giving patients orally. "They were very high doses. I damn near killed people [before] I could see a real benefit," he recalled matter-of-factly. "Every one of them got sick. Their acne got better, but their hair fell out. A few of them said, 'Okay, I'm willing to be sick: keep pouring that poison into me. I'd rather lose my hair than have pimples.'
"This is one of the reasons doctors got away with abusive treatments. ... By that time I had learned that patients are unreliable and what they think is worthless. ... |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 They are rich in vitamins, particularly beta-carotene (the vitamin a precursor) and vitamins C and E. You might also take a multivitamin supplement, if you don't already. One study of elderly people showed that a daily multivitamin significantly improved their immune function.
Here's a quote from one of the thousands of letters I have received over the years, written by people disillusioned enough with their physicians to seek an alternative: "My husband, age 57, suffered a stroke a year ago. |
| Broccoli and carrots are also high in beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant that the body transforms into vitamin a. Celery is high in apigenin, a chemical that expands (dilates) the blood vessels and may help prevent high blood pressure.
Drink a fruit smoothie every day. Take any fruits that appeal to you— apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, melons or berries—and run them through a blender. Don't use a juicer, which extracts just the juice by separating it from the fiber. Leave the fiber in there; it's great for the digestive tract. If you like, add some nonfat yogurt and cinnamon. |
| Phosphorus is particularly important, but you also need magnesium, boron, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin a. You can get all of these nutrients from supplements, but I prefer to get them the way Nature intended—packaged all together in food.
The other news about osteoporosis that few people know is that high-protein diets leach calcium from bone. |
| Its high levels of vitamin a make it a good sunscreen, according to Aubrey Hampton, author of Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care. I confess I've never tried carrot oil, but on occasion, I've mashed carrots in a blender and experimentally applied the mash as a face mask. Someone once even called me a handsome old redneck. (Wash the mashed carrot off after 15 to 30 minutes.)
VV Cocoa (Theobroma cacao). A major emollient used in skin lotions and cosmetics, cocoa butter is the leading anti-wrinkle suggestion of pharmacog-nosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D. |
| Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, all members of the vitamin a family. Other studies show that people can reduce their risk of stroke by as much as 54 percent if they eat lots of fruits and veggies that are rich in beta-carotene and vitamins C and E.
The message is clear: Eat more carrots. I munch them as snacks, include them in my vegetable soups and juice them, too, sometimes with garlic.
VV English pea (Pisum sativum). It turns out that nearly all legumes contain genistein, which appears to be a cancer-preventive nutrient. |
| It also contains a chemical relative of vitamin a, which may help as well.
Of course, once I got going, I became fascinated by all the anti-edemics I turned up, and I offered her the list—notably ginger, pineapple and turmeric. But all she wanted was verification of cucumber, which I gave her, although as anti-edemics go, it's on the weak side.
Still, as a result of that database search, I can now offer this tip: If you ever develop swollen eyelids, cut two circular sections of cool cucumber, lie down and place the slices on your closed eyelids. It just might help. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Individuals who chronically consume alcohol have been found to have lower levels of folate, vitamin Bl7 vitamin B6, vitamin a, beta-carotene, zinc, and vitamin C.
The lifestyles of individuals are also neglected in the RDAs. Dieters, for example, are a population who have frequently been found to have low nutrient status. Studies have shown that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to meet all of the RDAs for nutrients, let alone maintain health, when chronically consuming less than 1,200 calories / day. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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| In addition, they utilize megadoses of recognized vitamins such as (emulsified) vitamin a and vitamin C, as well as other vitamins and minerals (e.g., selenium) believed to have anticancer properties.
Enzymes are usually added to this regimen, following the theory of Krebs, Jr. (1970) and Beard (1911) that the pancreatic enzymes—trypsin and chymotrypsin—are intrinsic anticancer factors. To free these enzymes to kill cancer cells, laetrilists advise their patients to eat only small amounts of animal protein. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Illness, and particularly febrile conditions and lipid malabsorption, can markedly increase vitamin a requirements.
Table 108. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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| Some German cancer specialists have long been using a special form of vitamin a called A-mulsin as part of an overall treatment for cancer. They have found a way to emulsify it so that it is supposedly no longer harmful, even when given daily in colossal (up to 3,000,000 I.U.) dosages.
In early 1976 Esquire magazine'prepared to publish a controversial story on cancer by science writer Pat McGrady, Jr. Son of the former ACS official, McGrady hailed the use of this therapy at Germany's Robert Janker Clinic (now headed by Dr. Wolfgang Scheef). |
| The discussion of vitamin a and cancer is totally devoid of any recognition of the pioneering work of Max Gerson, a pattern of neglect Albert Schweitzer already discerned in 1959.
In 1976 the author was in a private conversation with a high official of Sloan-Kettering institute, during which the man closed the door and asked, "Do you want to know where we get all our new ideas?" This leading scientist proceeded to take down from the shelf a copy of the American Cancer Society's Unproven Methods in Cancer Management. "This is our Bible," he said, simply and eloquently. |
| This suggests that some of vitamin A's anticancer effects may be due to reducing the devastation of cancer-causing viruses in human patients as well (ibid.).
Many people have heard of the Harvard study of 22,000 physicians, aged 40 to 84 years, which has demonstrated that an aspirin every other day could cut in half the risk of a first heart attack. Although the aspirin portion of the study has terminated, most of the doctors continue with a lesser-known aspect of the same study: to assess the benefits of beta carotene in reducing the risk of cancer. Half the group is taking 50 mg. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Maternal vitamin a deficiency and mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. Lancet 1994; 343: 1593
151. Murray MF, Srinivasan A. Nicotinamide inhibits HIV-1 in both acute and chronic in vitro infection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995; 210: 954-959
152. Murray MF, Nghiem M, Srinivasan A. HIV infection decreases intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [NAD]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995; 212: 126-131
153. Brown RR, Ozaki Y, Datta SP et al. Implications of interferon-induced tryptophan catabolism in cancer, auto-immune diseases and AIDS. Adv Exp Med Biol 1991; 294: 425^35
154. |
| Supplements
• Glucosamine sulfate: 1,500 mg/day
• Niacinamide: 500 mg six times/day (under strict supervision - liver enzyme must be regularly assayed)
• Vitamin E: 600 IU/day
• Vitamin A: 5,000 IU/day
• Vitamin C: 1,000-3,000 mg/day
• Vitamin B6: 50 mg/day
• Pantothenic acid: 12.5 mg / day
• SAM: 400 mg three times/day
• Zinc: 45 mg/day
• Copper: 1 mg/day
• Boron: 6 mg/day. |
| Lithgow D, Politzer W. vitamin a in the treatment of menorrhagia. S Afr Med J 1977; 51: 191-193
10. Cohen JD, Rubin HW. Functional menorrhagia: treatment with bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Curr Ther Res 1960; 2: 539-542
11. Dasgupta PR, Dutta S, Banerjee P, Majumdar S. Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) in the management of menorrhagia associated with the use of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD). Int J Fertil 1983; 28: 55-56
12. Stoffer CS. Menstrual disorders and mild thyroid insufficiency. Postgraduate Med 1982; 72: 75-82
13. Sone K, Willis A, Hart M et al. |
| Supplements
• Vitamin C: 1,000 mg/day
• Bioflavonoids: 250 mg/day
• Vitamin A: 25,000 IU/day
• Vitamin E: 200 IU/day
• Chlorophyll: 25 mg/day (use a crude form)
• Iron: 25 mg/day.
Botanical medicine
• Capsella bursa pastoris: 1 tsp/cup three times /day, if needed to control very heavy bleeding.
REFERENCES
1. Federman DD. Ovary. In: Dale DC, Federman DD. Scientific American medicine. New York, NY: Scientific American. 1997. p 3: III: 9,10
2. Downing I, Hutchon DJR, Poyser NL. Uptake of [3H]-arachidonic acid by human endometrium. Differences between normal and menorrhagic tissue. |
Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, Assembly of Life Sciences National Research Council
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 Inhibition of 2-fluorenamine-induced mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium by vitamin a. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 63:1093-1096.
Bjeldanes, L. F., and G. W. Chang. 1977. Mutagenic activity of quercetin and related compounds. Science 197:577-578.
Bjeldanes, L. F., M. M. Morris, J. S. Felton, S. Healy, D. Stuermer,
P. Berry, H. Timourian, and F. T. Hatch. In press a. Mutagens from the cooking of food. II. Survey by Ames/Salmonella test of mutagen formation in the major protein-rich foods of the American diet. Food Chem. Toxicol.
Bjeldanes, L. F., M. M. Morris, J. S. Felton, S. Healy, D. |
| Plasma vitamin a in patients with bronchial carcinoma. Br. J. Cancer 33:119-121.
Berg, J. W. 1975. Can nutrition explain the pattern of international epidemiology of hormone-dependent cancers? Cancer Res. 35:3345-3350.
Berg, J. W., and M. A. Howell. 1974. The geographic pathology of bowel cancer. Cancer 34:807-814.
Bingham, S., D. R. R. Williams, T. J. Cole, and W. P. T. James. 1979. Dietary fibre and regional large-bowel cancer mortality in Britain. Br. J. Cancer 40:456-463.
Bjelke, E. 1971. Case-control study of cancer of the stomach, colon, and rectum. Pp. 320-334 in R. L. Clark, R. C. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik
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| Neither vitamin a nor vitamin D levels appear to be affected by phytostanol ingestion. There are no data yet available on the effect of phytostanols on other carotenoids, flavonoids or polyphenols.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
At present, phytostanols, in the form of fatty acid esters, are available in some functional foods, including margarines, spreads and salad dressing. Phytostanols and phytostanol esters are being developed as nutritional supplements in capsule form.
A few studies indicate a dose of 2 grams of phytostanols daily to be optimal. Doses used are 1.5 to 4.5 grams daily. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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| In the 1930s scientists in Cambridge, England, showed that vitamin a was essential for the proper differentiation—or maturation—of epithelial cells. A majority of lung cancers occurred when these same cells in the bronchi of the lungs failed to mature (ibid.).
Experiments at Memorial Hospital in the 1940s showed that there is often a deficiency of this vitamin in the blood of cancer patients. (The same observation has been made for vitamin C. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 Oral retinoids (synthetic versions of vitamin a) include etretinate and isotretinoin (trade names are Tegison and Accutane). Both have been effective in clearing extensive psoriatic lesions. Exactly how the retinoids work is not well understood, but it is known that retinoids are important in normalizing skin cells and decreasing the rate of proliferation. Its most serious side effect is the risk of birth defects, and is therefore not recommended for pregnant women.
Omega 3 fatty acids—A recent German study highlighted the antiinflammatory benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. |
John Heinerman
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 An Old Amish Herbs remedy called Super C has cayenne, ginger and vitamin a in with vitamin C to make it more potent (see Product Appendix in back of book for more information).
Brings Down Blood Sugar Levels
A report in the West Indian Medical Journal (31:194-97) mentioned how a pack of mongrel dogs picked up off the streets in Kingston, Jamaica were given powdered cayenne pepper. The result was a dramatic plunging of their blood sugar levels for up to several hours at a time. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| What these healers did not know is that liver is an excellent source of vitamin a, which is essential for good vision. The word vitamin was first used in 1912 by a Polish scientist, Casimir Funk, who discovered that the hull of a polished rice grain contained an organic substance that could prevent beri beri. (Vita is Latin for life; amine means an organic-hydrogen compound.) Although he did not know it at the time, Funk had discovered vitamin B. Since then, many more vitamins have been discovered, and we now more fully understand the important role they play in our bodies. |
Earl Mindell
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 BETA-CAROTENE: Converted into vitamin a only as the body needs it, leaving the remainder to act as an antioxidant. Studies have shown beta-carotene to play a significant role as a cancer preventive by inhibiting the formation of free radicals. Additionally, it has been found to help strengthen the immune system, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke, and protect against the formation of cataracts. |
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