Active Form of Vitamin A

Active form of vitamin A vs non Active form

Welcome, in this blog post I want to discuss that the active form of Vitamin A from liver is different than the non active form found in plant based sources.

There are two forms of vitamin A are available in the human diet:

Provitamin A (carotenoids) – Abundant in plant foods like fruits, vegetables and oils
Preformed vitamin A (retinol) – Found in foods from animal sources, including dairy products, fish, and meat (especially liver)

But are the sources all created equal when it comes to the bioavailability of active form of Vitamin A?

Vitamin A in Vegetables?

In a majority of people, the carotene-to-retinol conversion is severely compromised, and in some it may be quite negligible. This is particularly true for infants, diabetics, and those with compromised bile production.

While Vitamin A is found in many fruits , green vegetables ,like carrots ,spinach it is in the form beta carotenoids and is not usable by the body, and needs to be activated to the usable form retinol, studies show huge differences in the conversion rate that you may be only getting 3-4% from plant sources of Vitamin A – Study Showing Conversion Rates

Your body’s ability to convert carotenoids into bioavailable vitamin A also depends on your diet in general. If you’re on a low-fat diet, your conversion rate is virtually guaranteed to be inadequate.

Vitamin A from Meat

Organ meats are rich in all the fat soluble vitamins, which which is absorbable, vitamin A in the usable form retinol which goes in like a rocket ship, compared to vegetables which is a pre-vitamin A.

Retinoids (fat-soluble, biologically active vitamin A found in animal foods)

Retinol: Bioactive form of vitamin A, which is converted into retinal, retinoic acid, and retinyl esters
Retinal: Vision health and healthy growth
Retinoic acid: Skin health, tooth remineralization, bone growth
Retinyl esters: Biologically inactive storage form

Liver is a powerhouse of natural highly bioavailable vitamins, meaning it is easily absorbed by the body.

Vitamin A Supplementation Can Be Risky, so Be Careful

When it comes to vitamin A, supplementation carries risks for most people, not just alcoholics, so your best bet is to make sure you’re getting your vitamin A from real food — both animal and plant-based. Some of the most vitamin A-rich foods include the following:

Sources for bioavailable vitamin A (retinoids)	Pro-vitamin A carotenoid-rich foods
Grass-fed beef liver	Carrots
Eggs from organic pastured chickens	Sweet potatoes
Raw organic butter and cheese from grass-fed cows	Kale
Whole raw milk and heavy cream from organic grass-fed cows	Spinach
Shrimp	Butternut squash
Fatty fish like wild-caught salmon (and to a lesser degree sardines)	Mustard greens and collard greens

A number of studies have raised warnings about vitamin A supplementation; showing high doses may lead to toxicity, and may raise your risk of heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Be particularly cautious with retinol or retinoic acid supplements, as the risk of toxicity is higher with these fat-soluble forms. Synthetic versions should also be strictly avoided. Signs of vitamin A toxicity include:

Hair loss
Confusion
Bone loss
Liver damage

If you need to supplement, best option is to take desiccated liver pills.

Where do you find these organ meats

It is important to source clean grass fed organ meats like liver, our liver comes from obeorganics in the Australian Channel Country, where the cattle naturally grazes on over 250 native species of plants and watered by natural rainfall.

Our mission is to provide the cleanest premium source of liver for you, as nature intended.

How much desiccated liver should I take?

The recommended serving size of liver is 3oz per week, which is the equivalent of consuming 1 standard liver per week.

One standard serving of Grassland Nutrition Liver/Kelp taken daily is 3 grams (6 capsules), which works out to 21 grams per week, which roughly works out to a standard serving of 3 oz of liver per week.

If you like you can open the capsules and consume over eggs, they taste delicious.