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An audio version of this post is available here.
It’s been a bit over a year since my last update. I’ve been holding off on posting a new one because I wanted to get to the four-year point with my diet. The four-year anniversary date is Aug 11, 2018. But, things are starting to move along faster readership-wise. Last year I had five subscribers, and now I am up to ten. So, I’m clearly on a roll, and thus I am posting this a bit early to catch the wave.
An inexpensive fluoroscope
Dan from Chicago has shared a great tip. Rather than using a geology fluoroscope to inspect his skin for areas of high concentration of retinoids, he’s determined that you can use an automotive leak detection light. He’s used this ~ $15 kit.
He’s also shared some photos of his skin under this light.
And then using the test light on that same area you can see the florescence.
The Eye Exam
I finally got around to getting a comprehensive eye exam done. The results were all good. No glaucoma, no macular degeneration. The vision tests, both near and far, were a clear pass. The pressure test was fine. No need for reading glasses, and no need for driving glasses. I do still have a trace remnant of a cataract in the left eye. So, overall, my eye health and vision are excellent and of course, vastly improved compared to four years ago. But, the kicker was, as I was finishing up with the exam, the eye doc sat back in his chair, looked a little perplexed, and said: “I don’t understand how you could have gotten to be this age (58) and still have such good eye health and vision”. That was a completely unprompted remark, and I did not say a word about my peculiar diet. Then I asked: “what about the vascularization?”. He replied, “that’s normal, don’t worry about it.” Of course, I don’t think it’s really normal. Rather that it’s now just so common in people around my age that it appears to be normal.
Anyways, the claim that vitamin A is needed to maintain human vision is now officially debunked, at least as far as I am concerned. My night vision remains very good too. The one vision change I do notice now is that colour yellow is just richer. It’s like the difference between seeing a dull looking egg yolk and one that’s much deeper brighter yellow. It’s not a problem; it’s just different than before.
Oh, I know there will be the skeptics and the naysayers who’ll claim that I’ve just not waited long enough for the great vitamin A deficiency to swoop down and take me out. No worries, I plan on maintaining my zero vitamin A diet at least for another five years, and I’ll let them know the moment that it catches up to me.
Overall Health
Other areas of my health remain good too. I still have a good energy level and no concerns what-so-ever about my health. My weight has remained the same, and almost regardless of how many calories I take in. My BMI remains steady at 26.
But, there are a few areas that are still showing improvements. One is that my skin is progressively getting smoother, almost everywhere. It was also quite smooth a year ago too, but strangely it’s just getting smoother and nicer as time goes on. Even the skin on my heals is becoming smooth. Likewise, the same goes for my fingernails. They are now very nice and smooth too, and they no longer have the longitudinal ridges in them.
My bones and teeth are feeling stronger too. My blood pressure is at the “suggested optimal” values, usually at ~ 120/80, and my cholesterol levels are like perfect too.
| mg/dl | mmol/L | |
| Cholesterol | 126.6 | 3.28 |
| HDL Cholesterol | 57.5 | 1.49 |
| LDL Cholesterol | 56.4 | 1.46 |
| NON-HDL Cholesterol | 69.1 | 1.79 |
| TRIGLYCERIDES | 63.7 | 0.72 |
These cholesterol numbers are good even for children that are less than nine years of age. These low numbers are not surprising because one of the pathways for the breakdown of vitamin A is for it to convert into cholesterol. Additionally, my platelet count is down to 134 (the normal range is 150-400). I’m guessing that’s because I no longer need a bunch of sticky platelets constantly trying to repair damage to my blood vessels.
I’m also finding that I need somewhat less sleep and food than I did a few years ago and I still maintain a good energy level throughout the day. However, regardless of whether I need it or not, I do try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a day. Somewhat related, five years back, after waking up in the morning, I seriously needed my coffee. So much so, that anyone standing between me and my first coffee was in some danger. Then after the coffee, I needed a shower to fully wake up. I used to joke that I was not even human until after I had my coffee and morning shower. Now, that’s no longer the case. All joking aside, I am just much more alert and clear thinking upon first waking. I really don’t need coffee anymore at all, and I am finding it less appealing too.
The Diet
A few people have asked me how could I eat such a limited diet. I usually explain that it is super easy. First, I put the rice in a bowl, and then I add some beans, then I add the cooked bison, add hot water and a pinch of salt to turn it into a soup, and then I eat it. But, seriously, it is super easy and fast. I just take the previously cooked rice, bison, and beans out of the fridge, add hot water, and I’m done. That’s it. I do the same for lunch. I just put it in a container and take it to work with me. The only downside is that it’s a bit boring. But, I’ll take boring over having my skin burn off again. There are other things you should know about this diet. Firstly, I probably get most of my calories from rice, not the bison. I have tons of energy on this diet, and I almost never feel hungry. Of course, it’s been well known in Asia for centuries now, but rice is an amazing energy super food. I can’t say enough good about it. The same somewhat categorization applies to the beans. Of course, both rice and beans are very low cost too. But, do not for one second believe that you can live on rice and beans alone. I believe adequate animal meat is very important too. Even with the beef/bison added, this is still a very inexpensive diet, and that’s a bonus. After all, fruits and vegetables are quite expensive too. They also represent a huge amount of industrial waste because of spoilage.
Next, this brings up another question people are probably wondering about, and that is: do the beans increase gas and flatulence. Firstly, here’s a little bit of trivia for you. Did you know that regular “healthy” people pass gas an average of 13 to 21 times per day? So, if you work in an office with say 50 people per floor that’s one heck of a lot of stinky methane seeping into the air that you are breathing. Naturally, you sure don’t want to be over contributing to that with the added beans in your diet. Well, the surprising good news is that even with the beans, on this diet the number of times you’ll have flatulence in a day will be right around zero. At night, and while you sleep? Zero too. And, it’s probably around zero times per month too. That’s right, amazingly, nothing, perfect. Bowel movements are also perfect. My simple diet is just such a civilized one to adopt on that aspect of it alone. Additionally, just the amount of money you’ll save on toilet paper will somewhat offset for the amount of money you’ll spend on beef.
Kidney Disease
One of the topics I only touched on a bit in my e-books was my early diagnosis of kidney disease. I was given this diagnosis in late 2006. My nephrologist told me that I still had a good amount of time left, but that I should get my affairs in order. He told me that there is no known definitive cause and no medication, and of course no cure, for CKD. The longer-term prognosis was that I’d be finished by 2013. Although my nephrologist was so incredibly accurate in that prediction, it did not turn out to be precisely correct. I just had a checkup done. My kidney function is now back to normal. I no longer have leaking protein, and my creatinine and GFR numbers are perfect too. Go figure?
Twisted Bones
Way back, a long, long time ago, when I had read Darwin’s Origin of the Species, I was quite surprised at just how confused and wrongly modern biology was interpreting his work. Darwin clearly knew that the concept of random mutations could only possibly account for just the tiniest little fraction of the forces driving evolution. What he stated, and he stated it over and over, if anyone bothered carefully reading his book, that it was natural breeding selection that was truly the biggest driving force behind the rate of evolutionary change. Just as importantly, it was that he fully understood, and he also stated it multiple times too, that the mother’s life experiences were somehow actually programming the outcome of the offspring. Yet, what’s taught in schools today is a grand distortion of what Darwin had discovered. Evolution is not the process of random mutations, but rather it is the process of purposefully built adaptations, both in real-time and over generations. Thus, Darwin had discovered epigenetics some 150 years ago. But, there is a secondary distortion that I want to highlight regarding Darwin’s story, and that is the shape of his own skull.
Upon Darwin’s return from his famous Beagle voyage, and having suffered from severe and chronic eczema during those years, Darwin’s father had noted that the shape of Darwin’s skull had changed! Yes, Darwin who was regularly eating organ meats, had the shape of his skull changed. Now, isn’t that fascinating?
Over the last few years, I’ve had quite a few people contact me who had taken Accutane as an acne treatment. One surprising consistent theme from their stories is the time-frame. It’s usual to hear that they had taken the drug over ten years ago, and are still suffering from it. The second surprising comment was that several of them reported that the “drug” had twisted their bones!
Then, about three years ago I had exchanged some messages with a woman, who’s about 40 years old. She had severe rosacea and a condition called TMJ. This condition is that of a twisted jaw bone. She had a very noticeable crooked smile and damaged teeth because of it. The rosacea was bad enough, but the twisted jaw was causing her a tremendous amount of chronic pain. She had shopped the nation for surgeons to treat the condition. What they offered sounded horrific, and none of them were guaranteeing any long-term successes either. Of course, the proposed surgeries came with substantial risks and guaranteed facial scarring too. The only thing that stopped her from going ahead with the surgeries was the cost. The needed surgery was quoted at between $50,000 and $100,000 US. When I talked to her, she told me that herself and her husband had added liver as an almost bi-weekly staple food in their diets a few years earlier. She had read in some fashion magazine that liver was the new health food. Her husband had developed severe gout at about the same time she had first developed rosacea. She had read my blog posts, and was extremely doubtful and very skeptical that the additional vitamin A consumption could have caused her conditions. Nonetheless, to be on the safe side, she stopped eating liver and very reluctantly adopted a low vitamin A diet too (but not totally zero). Now, three years later, her jaw has straightened back out. Her rosacea is completely gone too. She’s also much happier and calmer now. But, I’m disappointed to say that she’s not fully convinced that the low vitamin‑A diet was responsible for the remarkable recovery. She cannot bring herself to believe that a “vitamin” could have caused it, or that medical “science” has gotten it wrong.
Well, there’s only so much I can say, other than that the highest authority in science is that which is demonstrated in nature.
Next, for my own twisted bone story. For well over a decade, and maybe more like for about the last two decades, I’ve had two bulging vertebrates in my lower back. They are about 2/3rds the way down. They never really bothered me too much. Even though I could only see them by using a mirror, I really needed two opposing mirrors to see them effectively. Thus, it was no big deal kind of thing, and I only had a single mirror in my bathroom, so I was fine. Then, a few months ago, I was in a washroom with multiple mirrors, and lo and behold, I noticed that those two bulging vertebrates are almost not visible anymore. They have straightened out, and are now almost completely back in alignment with the rest of my spine. I never, not in a hundred years, could have imagined that to happen.
So, in addition to all the other horrible things this so-called vitamin can do to us, it’s even causing the twisting of our bones! How remarkable is that?
Breast Cancer
You might be surprised to learn how much more pain and misery, and death this so-called vitamin is inflicting on the women of the world. That’s the topic of my next e-book. It should be ready in the next few days.
This is all good news and very glad to hear it. Are their any updates to the diet I may have missed? Would a 2018 recap be in order? I look forward to the breast cancer thoughts and ideas.
Hi Robert,
I’ve only made a few small tweaks in my diet.
It’s still almost exclusively rice, beans, and bison, and a touch of olive oil. But, I’ve reduced the amount of olive oil. I’m only using it for cooking now, and no longer adding it directly.
I find that I get more sustained energy from white rice than compared to brown rice. So, it’s mostly white rice now. I think I make up for the lost brown rice fiber by consuming more beans. For the beans, I try to alternate between black beans, and kidney beans. But, I have a personal flavor / texture preference for the kidney beans.
I sometimes include macadamia nuts, raisins, and still very occasionally cauliflower, like once every other month. Other than a pinch of salt, that’s about it.
I tried some sour dough bread a while back, and I was fine with it. I had no adverse reaction at all. I also tried peanut butter on the sour dough bread, and I was fine with that too. But, even so, being ultra-paranoid about ever having the eczema return, I’m just going to stay away from them.
Thanks
Thanks so much Grant for all the work and research you put into “Vitamin A” poisoning. I have reduced my Vitamin A intake by probably half by just reading the labels when I shop which has helped considerably. My condition is probably exacerbated by the fact that I’m taking Lupron to keep a check on my PSA which seems to run on a roller coaster up and down. One month last year it was 1.64 and 3 months later 45. Which is really weird. But for my dermatitis I’m taking Cellcept which does subdue it. In the morning my skin looks pretty good …. but through the late afternoon and into the evening I can feel the itchies intensifying, but when I wake up I am back to the previous normal. Must be a cycle my body goes through each day.
I appreciate you,
Jim
Hi James,
It’s so good to hear from you again.
Thanks for the kind words.
Grant
So good to see a post from you. Great update and very positive.
Glad you are doing so well and the news from the eye doctor is great. It must be a relief.
I agree with you that the vascularization isn’t normal. Just trouble shooting here but I’m wondering if it’s either the rice and beans. I don’t know of course and I love rice, but there is all this talk now about carnivory and eating meat only. Some people have been following an all red meat diet and seeing astounding health benefits.
Amber O’Hearn has a great testimonial/story eating all meat. And there’s Mikhaila Peterson (daughter of Jordan Peterson) who’s being interviewed all over Youtube. Both women healed some pretty severe health issues just eating red meat.
There’s also a blog zerocarbzen.com. The author of the blog posts interviews of people who have been eating an all meat diet long term. I will say that many of them add butter and I know that’s high in VA. So I’ve been cutting way back on that. Plus being a cooked fat, it gives me arrhythmia.
I had some constipation eating all meat for about two weeks. I wanted to try it and I did feel more mental clarity and my depression and agitation started to lift. But the constipation was bothersome to me. I probably needed even more fat than I was eating to fix it, but I was getting histamine responses of inflammation (swollen legs and ankles) when I’d cook steaks. Ground beef doesn’t seem to have the same effect so I eat lots of that. Bison is too pricey and I don’t have access to it anymore from a farmer. A couple grocery stores carry it but I prefer the beef because it does have higher fat than bison.
Are you eating only one kind of bean or different kinds? I don’t like beans at all. Are lentils okay?
Are you still eating cauliflower?
Something else that occurs to me about all these foods that get taken out of the diet when someone goes low VA. They are all foods that have other things that people are now reacting to in epidemic proportions: Silicates, histamines, goitrogens, oxylates and there may be others I’m not aware of. So again, maybe the vascularization you’re dealing with is from one of the foods you are still eating other than the bison. (Just a thought.)
Not surprised that the doctor disregarded the vascularization as normal but was stuck on how great your eyesight is “at your age.” Eye roll to the doctor. Can you tell I’m not a fan of doctors? Lol.
Thanks for the update Grant, looking forward to the new ebook. Happy for you that your health is doing so much better.
Hi Aura,
RE: vascularization of the eyes
I should have mentioned that this condition has gotten a lot better over the last few years, and it continues to get better. So, it’s going in the right direction and it’s not something I’m too concern about. But, I was just hoping for it to have resolved completely by now.
RE: Diet
Yes, I’ve been reading about this all-meat diet trend. It’s quite interesting. But, I think people just need to understand that it’s actually a very low VA diet too. I agree, bison is probably too low in fat for many people. Of course, beef is just fine and people should do what-ever works best for them.
I’m sticking to just black beans and kidney beans; I’ve not tried lentils. I do still occasionally eat cauliflower. I also consume coconut water quite regularly now too. Some days I go wild, and knock back a Red Bull. Although it’s super high in sugar, I’m recently finding I just don’t like coffee very much anymore. So, the Red Bull is my occasional caffeine fix.
Grant, I’ve only recently discovered your site and am fascinated–and grateful–for all the time and effort you’ve put in to your search for answers. Thank you for sharing your findings. I’m on a carnivore diet now because anything plant-based was causing my skin to erupt in pustules and the inflammation was very uncomfortable and itchy. I’ve also dealt with long periods of psoriasis in the past and just want it to all go away once and for all.
Since adopting a keto diet for 2-3 yrs, for weight loss and insulin resistance, then finally zero carb this past June, my skin is getting much, much better, but I have to be careful as even taking a melatonin tablet caused another outbreak a couple weeks ago. My body is clearly telling not to put anything into it but meat, sea salt and water. I did have one question for you (though there may be more as I continue reading your posts when I can): are you ever concerned about the fact that kidney beans would kill us if we ever tried to eat them straight from nature, so to speak, and can only consume them after they’ve been boiled really well at high heat? I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that something can literally kill us raw, then be ok when cooked/partially broken down.
I realize people eat them quite a bit and are obviously ok, but it just makes me think…
Anyway, take care and thanks again for sharing your work.
Thank you for the time you’ve taken to read this and for the kind comments.
I’ve very recently taken Red Kidney Beans off the menu. However, I did not take them out due to their potential lectin toxicity.
I had a reader, James Dean, alert me to the high carotenoid content of the red kidney beans. I’ve also had several other people tell me that they were having adverse results with beans in their diets. But, they didn’t specifically associate it to just the red kidney beans that was giving them the trouble. None-the-less, to heed these warnings I’ve now taken red kidney beans out of my diet. Even though I think I was doing fine with them before, it will be interesting to see if I can detect any noticeable effects of making that change.
Grant
Hi Grant,
You mentioned you don’t think a diet of rice and beans alone is good and it needs animal protein. I’m curious what brown rice, beans, a vitamin C supplement, coconut water, and a fat source, say macadamia nuts, would be missing? If I type that in on Cronometer it contains over 70 grams of protein and all the essential amino acids. I’m trying to do your diet but I really don’t want to eat animal protein for ethical reasons. Appreciate any feedback and am very grateful for all the work you’ve done.
Hi James,
Hey, I understand. I think if you are getting ample amounts of plant-sourced protein, then that is fine. It does not need to come from animals.
It would take too long to explain here as to how and why I know this, but I know with certainty that a zero-protein diet can quickly kill people. Do rice and beans provide an adequate amount of protein? I don’t know.
I hope that helps clarify my thinking on it.
Grant
That helps, thanks Grant. I have no doubt a zero protein diet would be quickly fatal. In a few months I’ll update back if the vegan version of your diet works.
Another question. So you’ve been vitamin A free for 4 years now, do you think you’re liver stores are close to or at zero? If this was the case wouldn’t it allow you to occasionally eat things with low amounts of vitamin A if you desired? Also, it would be interesting to see if you’re blood serum levels of retinol or near/at zero. Would you consider doing this blood test?
That’s a very good question. I don’t know where my levels are at. I did ask my GP for a vitamin A test. But they’ve stopped providing it here in Alberta ( as a health program paid-for test). The vitamin A test was being done with vitamin D testing, and there were too many people asking for the vitamin D test, and costing the Province too much money.
I could try to get it done at a private lab. Although I am curious, I’m not $200-$400 worth of curious. I’d love for it to be right down at zero. But, even if I was, I have no intention of going back to foods with vitamin A. Not because I need to do that and I’m quite sure that I could start safely taking on a bit of vitamin A. But, I am on a mission to prove beyond any doubt that vitamin A is not a vitamin at all. So, I’m in this for the long haul, thus for at least for 4 or 5 more years.
Thanks
Hey,
I was wondering have you had your vitamin D blood levels tested, if so, what were the results? If not, how come you haven’t had them tested? Vitamin D blood tests cost around $30 I believe, do you have any plans to get them tested in the future?
Thanks
Hi Ray,
Yes, I would like to get that test. I’d obviously like to know what my vitamin A levels are at too. I recently asked my doctor for the tests, but I was turned down because I have no noticeable medical need for them.
Unfortunately, here in Alberta, our government run health care system is no longer providing the vitamin A and D tests, at least on a discretionary basis. Too many people were requesting the vitamin D test, and it was costing the Province too much money.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-vitamin-d-test-numbers-soar-1.978025
The testing labs here are also part of our government provided health care system, and they have a legislated monopoly. So, it’s not a matter of cost, but rather just availability. I’ll try again and see if I can somehow get these tests done.
Nonetheless, please understand that I’ve made my recovery without any vitamin D in my diet, nor supplements. Also, for the first two years of my recovery period my skin was highly sensitive to sunlight, and I was very careful to get minimal sun exposure too. So, I did not pick up a bunch of vitamin D from sunlight either. Therefore, I’m quite sure that my disease conditions had nothing to do with a vitamin D deficiency, or deficiency in anything else. In other words, I did not recover from these diseases by adding vitamin D or anything else. Rather, I recovered by removing vitamin A.
I would like people to drop the concept of a deficiency in disease etiology, because that misunderstanding is what has gotten us into this giant mess in the first place.
Agreed Grant, vitamin d is stored in the liver and could push stored vitamin A out if supplemented or generated from sun exposure. Therefore, it is not a magical cure to vitamin A toxicity and it will probably make things worse in the long run. I think everyone’s focus should be getting as little fat soluble vitamins as possible for a few months until the liver has created some room. It won’t cause harm because odds are the individual has loads of fat soluble vitamins stored up. I find I am extremely sensitive to the sun and feel immediate fatigue after prolonged sun exposure.
Grant did your sensitivity to sun ever go away?
Yes, I’ve finally recovered, and am no longer sensitive to the sun.
How can you claim your disease has nothing to do with Vitamin D deficiency, when you do not have a blood test telling us what your vitamin D levels are?
From what you have told me it is everything to do with a vitamin D deficiency, no supplementation, very little sunlight, it is clear to me you could be very vitamin D deficient, and it seems quite obvious that someone that is vitamin D deficient will eventually react to even smaller amounts of vitamin A.
I believe your condition is do to with the ratio of vitamin D and vitamin A. When you are deficient in D, you react to smaller and smaller amounts of A. Currently you have cleared your body of A, it is no longer reacting, but you are still D deficient. If you are replete in vitamin D, you would be able to handle reasonable amounts of vitamin A like a normal person can, and does every single day. Yes you have recovered by removing vitamin A, because in a vitamin D deficiency, the body reacts to excess vitamin A.
Every condition you talk about on here as a “vitamin A excess” is linked elsewhere with vitamin D deficiency. There are also many forum posts on these issues where people have fixed their issues by resolving a vitamin D deficiency, without having to excessively monitor their vitamin A levels.
Avoiding fixing a vitamin D deficiency would be incredibly detrimental to your long term health.
I will bet money that you are vitamin D deficient.
If you can find a reasonably priced vitamin D home blood test online, I will genuinely send you the money to cover the cost (via paypal) On the condition that you post your results online, send me the money back if your results show you are deficient, as described by the Vitamin D council (<40 ng/ml).
You could then work to improve your vitamin D levels, by whichever means you feel comfortable with. I honestly believe you have a vitamin D deficiency which is causing all these symptoms, and would love for you to discover this, and then become healthier by fixing the issue. If you do end up having good vitamin D levels, then it adds weight to your vitamin A toxicity theory. I am being completely serious about this and would love for you to take me up on the offer.
Hi,
The important point I’m trying to share with people is that I’ve now fully recovered from my previous disease conditions. I currently have no health issues or concerns.
Therefore, the reason I can claim that my disease conditions were not due to a vitamin D deficiency is firstly because I had a ton of vitamin D in my diet before and leading up to developing the conditions. Then, following that, I made my recovery without including any vitamin D what-so-ever.
Thanks for the offer for helping to pay for the tests. But, no worries, I’m happy to pay for it on my own.
I’d be absolutely thrilled if the vitamin A tests show zero or very near zero serum levels. I’m not at all concerned about my vitamin D levels. Even if it is extremely low too I still would not bother supplementing with it. And, I understand the opposing forces between vitamin A and D, and you make a good point about the possible hyper-sensitivity to A being because of low D. I can totally see that being a possible contributor.
I’ll let you know as soon as I can get the tests done, and will share the result here,
Grant
Thanks for replying! You said before you were just drinking vit D fortified milk? It is around 100 IU per glass, have I got that right? That still seems like a very low amount. People take much, much higher doses than that, and are still deficient, so I still think you could be deficient.
Out of interest, how come you would not work to improve vitamin D levels? I understand why people don’t like oral supplements, but would you not try something like a UVB lamp, or visit tanning beds, in order to try raise your D levels?
Looking forward to seeing your results, and glad you are feeling better.
I’m from the old school of thought that believes that if something isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.
Since my health is now very good, I don’t see any need to make a change. As I said before, the mistaken concept of a deficiency is what’s gotten us into this mess in the first place. So, I’m not going to get sucked into the vitamin D deficiency theory.
I think the overwhelming real-world evidence here to indicate that the chronic diseases have almost nothing to do with vitamin D deficiency is what’s happened over the last two decades. We’ve seen a massive adoption of vitamin D supplementation, and all of the chronic diseases have only gotten much worse over that same timeframe. Whereas, if they were rooted in vitamin D deficiency then we should have seen a correspondingly huge decrease in the disease rates.
So, for me, I am focused on what is causing the diseases in the first place. It is clearly a toxicity condition. Thus, I have no need or desire to increase my vitamin D levels. Besides, vitamin D is also toxic at high doses too. I’ve had enough of being poisoned by bad science.
Quick question: Grant do you still regularly consumer vitamin C supplements?
No, I don’t. Not out of any need or concern. I think it was helpful for me earlier.
What is your source of vitamin C currently then? Just to clarify, it is actually a vitamin right?
It would be very little. Just the cauliflower. Did you see the rat study from 1937 where they used vit C. It definitely had a beneficial effect in protecting from vitamin A toxicity. So, even though it is believed that rats can generate their own vitamin C, supplemental amounts were helpful. The authors in that report speculate that scurvy might not be a vitamin C deficiency at all, but rather just misdiagnosed vitamin A toxicity.
I recently came across your theory, and damn you make a good case. I used a lot of vitamin A to help with depression in the past and it did work really quite well (I think because some of it is converted to cholesterol and other things) but I started having trouble with receding gums. I’d put it down to some kind of poor vitamin C utilisation and age, I found that certain things made it worse that arguably shouldn’t have. Vitamin A never occurred to me as a cytotoxic, though I did wonder about it’s role in bone remodelling. But see, the somewhat paradoxical scurvy symptoms I experienced make a lot more sense in light of your ideas.
You know they used to diagnose hypothyroidism as a cause of death by looking for the accumulation of carotenoids in tissues? Now I find myself wondering if it’s less the hypothyroidism that kills you, but the secondary effect of poisoning. Have you thought about thyroid status regarding VA? Both thyroid and VA are supposed to share a transporter protein called transthyretin.
So much to think about!
That’s very interesting info. I’ll check it out. My receding gums is the original reason I started drinking lots of milk. In the 1937 toxicity study where they poison rats to death with VA they too questioned if scurvy isn’t just mistaken VA toxicity.
CONCERNING THE TOXICITY OF VITAMIN A
EDWABD B. VEDDEB AND CHABLES BOSENBEBG
Department of Experimental Medicine, George Washington University
Medical School
(December 17, 1937)
Thanks
Hi Stephen,
Many people who have contacted me have also stated that they have thyroid issues. I think it is all somehow interconnected. Thanks.
It does seem that a lot of autoimmune conditions are preceded by hypothyroidism.
Hi Grant,
I just ordered one of the UV detection kits and have a few questions.
-When you tested yourself for fluorescence how much did you see in general?
-Was it only in areas where you were experiencing eczema?
-Did you see it in areas with no eczema?
-Did you reach a point (after how many months/years) where you no longer saw any fluorescence?
-Is there any danger to it (did you limit how long you used the light on your skin and how often you tested)?
Thanks 🙂
-When you tested yourself for fluorescence how much did you see in general?
It’s hard to quantify it. But, the variability of the fluorescence was very noticeable. There were areas with high concentrations, and areas where there was very little. It also appeared almost blotchy in places. The very worse areas were the backs of my hands, face, and upper chest.
-Was it only in areas where you were experiencing eczema?
It was not just in areas with eczema, but it was far worse in the areas with it. It was similar to what Dan shared in his photo.
-Did you see it in areas with no eczema?
Yes. The first inch or so of my hair also glowed a light blue colour.
-Did you reach a point (after how many months/years) where you no longer saw any fluorescence?
I haven’t checked recently, I will do that soon and report back.
-Is there any danger to it (did you limit how long you used the light on your skin and how often you tested)?
Using a “brown light” is generally regarded as safe. Yet, you’d probably want to limit it to not more than a minute or so on any one location. You’d also want to be careful not to directly shine the light into your eyes. I think that’s the purpose of the glasses included in that kit.
Hi again Grant,
Firstly – I have read through both of your books and I am truly impressed by the work you have put into your material. There are a few bits here and there that stand out to me (i.e. lactose is not and can never be behind a milk allergy, it is always the protein – cannot remember where I read this though) but for someone with a non-degree within biochemistry, I think you have done an amazing analytical job. Reading and analyzing scientific reports is not easy without some kind of background, most people cannot do it. And if you are correct, that vit A actually is not a vitamin at all…well let’s just say that I am looking forward to the international debate that would follow.
If I may pick your brain?
I am just curious to know more about what you have come across regarding the vitamin A-D relation.
And also if pasturized casein itself also contain Retinoic acid, like in the casein rat chow?
I stopped with all milk protein a few months ago after realising that I probably have an allergy.
My symtoms: digestive issues, itchy throat, phlegm, stuffed nose, out of breathness, chronic anemia (!), swollen face and pouch under chin (I am slim and fit). I also had eczema, try skin adn have had severe hair loss for many years that probably is related to low estrogen, which doesn’t make sense as I also have endometriosis.
I have also had low vit D despite eating a diet with lots of D in it (which I started supplementing for)
Anyway. That eczema would not go away! Not even when spring arrived. Usually it does.
Last fall I started a new job with free carrots which I was munching on daily. Besides that, I eat (ate) a diet VERY rich in veggies, esp greens,, and I also started eating liver regularly and had eaten 4-6 daily eggs, and also multivitamin. And I started adding more butter to my diet, and ate a lot of cheese, and started with cottage cheese again.
The eczema first appeared as a little itchy dot in probably october. And it just grew and grew.
Once I stopped with all milk (And “may contain traces of milk”) within a few weeks, the eczema was completely healed. No trace of it at all. Also I lost the puffyness, and my chin pouch, my stuffed nose and no longer get out of breath after eating, an no throat itching.
I do not know about my iron yet though, will take a new test in winter to check status.
And I still have digestive issues (meat and cooked eggs make me constipated and most fruits + veg bloat me and always have – I have never been able to adapt, not even as a vegan)
I have not been able to figure out why I keep on getting anemic. As soon as I finish treatment, I get anemic again within a few months.
But milk protein allergy has been related to anemia.
But I am wondering if any of this actually can be related to vit A /retinoic acid in casein (probably a far stretch?)
I have not had a proper IgG/IgE blood test as milk allergy can be delayed and not always show up on a test.
I also have rigges on nails, and when I read above that yours has disappeared it got me intreagued, as I have not always had this many ridges as I have now.
I am very curious on doing a low vit A diet for an extended period of time to see if I can improve my eyesight which has also declined the past few years.
Most of all I just want my hair to stop falling out and my skin (and feet) to get smooth – although these two I believe is hormonal.
Sorry for the long post.
I really appreaciate the discussion here and your input. It is very intereseing 🙂
Thanks for the supportive comments and feedback.
RE: Vit D relationship to Vit A
I haven’t investigated this topic too much. Although, it’s quite commonly reported that vit D diminishes the effects of the toxicity of vit A, some people are reporting that vit D is causing their condition to worsen. I did not supplement with vit D, so I can’t offer any firsthand experience.
RE: Does pasteurized casein itself also contain Retinoic acid?
That’s a very good question. I’d don’t know, but I’d love to get a definitive answer on that.
Hi Grant,
I just stumbled across some potentially very important information. I’ve always had a skepticism towards the nutrition values put out by the USDA Food Composition Database; did they really test every food super carefully or did they occasionally default some values to zero.
I remember you saying you didn’t include kidney beans in your diet for the first year of the diet. This may have been your saving grace. I started to research different studies around which foods actually have zero carotenoids and I found the following: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29699675 It lists red kidney beans as having carotenoid levels of 8.29-20.95 μg/g which is really high. I imagine after a year of beef, rice, and olive oil you got your levels low enough to take on the carotenoids in kidney beans.
I’ve been trying the diet with just rice, kidney beans, and macadamia nuts without much success and I believe it is due to the kidney beans. I plan on cutting them out and going to rice, macadamis, and maybe bison.
Thanks for finding that James. I share your suspicion that we cannot necessarily trust the nutrition facts and databases are giving us accurate measurements of the VA content in foods.
I wonder if Grant was/is eating white kidney beans as opposed to red? Because white kidney beans seem to have the lowest carotenoid content of the legumes tested in that study.
“In this study, eight lutein and zeaxanthin isomers were found in tested legumes. The two major peaks in the extract were identified as all-trans-lutein and all-trans-zeaxanthin. Red kidney bean and lentils presented the highest carotenoids content, 8.29-20.95 μg/g and 4.53-21.34 μg/g, respectively, followed by black soybean (4.41-6.09 μg/g) and cowpea (6.62-9.46 μg/g). But the carotenoids in mung bean and white kidney bean were very low, with respect content of 0.03-0.07 μg/g and 0.05-0.25 μg/g.”
http://sci-hub.tw/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29699675
Since carotenoids are plant pigments, it makes sense to see some correlation (but not a perfect one) with color and VA content.
Colorless plant foods like rice, white potato, white wheat flour, cauliflower, parsnip, turnips, white button mushrooms and white onions apparently have low or zero VA.
Thanks James Dean and Frank for sharing that important info.
I should have known better. I assumed that the red colour was at least partially due to the copper content. Anyways, yes, I was eating the red kidney beans. They’re now crossed off the menu. I’ll try the white kidney beans instead, as Frank O has suggested.
White kidney beans, that’s the same thing as cannellini beans, right?
What about butter/lima beans, they are also white, are those ok?
Black beans, are they ok?
Hi Mats,
I don’t know about the other types of beans. Personally, I’m only going to keep the black beans in my diet now.
Grant
Grant, why do you favor black beans specifically? Have you seen any studies on their exact amount of beta-carotene? They do have a lot of color, and hopefully all of that black is coming from anthocyanins. But there are a few other black foods that have plenty of carotenes, like blackberries or black rice. I mean now we at least have a scientific reading of the beta-carotene content in white kidney beans, it’s practically nothing.
Hi Mats,
I don’t have a particular reason for favoring the black beans. It’s just what I’ve gotten used to. I’ll try the white kidney beans for a while.
Thanks
I did some digging and found this,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235368841_Carotenoids_and_total_phenolic_contents_in_plant_foods_commonly_consumed_in_Korea
According to this paper, dried black beans have about 0.12 mg of beta-carotene per 100g, which if i calculated it correctly the same as 1.2µg beta carotene/1g of bean. Much better than the red kidney beans but it looks like the white kidney bean wins at 0.25µg/1g of bean, according to the paper Frank posted. If my math is messed up please tell me. In the link I posted it also says black beans has some lutein content, I wonder if the other beans also have lutein.
By the way I’d imagine maybe some beta-carotene gets broken down in canned foods but I don’t know. Bioavailability of the carotene in beans is another thing that might be worth looking at, I don’t think any of these studies show how much we actually absorb.
Additionally, according to this website it takes 12 dietary IU of beta-carotene to make 1 IU of retinol: https://dietarysupplementdatabase.usda.nih.gov/Conversions.php
I wrote a second comment shortly after the last one but it’s gone, I must have messed up somewhere.
Anyways I found a paper where they measured the beta-carotene content in black beans: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235368841_Carotenoids_and_total_phenolic_contents_in_plant_foods_commonly_consumed_in_Korea
Their reading was 1.2 µg/g, so that’s almost five times the amount in the white kidney bean according to the paper Frank posted, still a lot less than in the red kidney bean though. I haven’t looked into how they measured this, maybe they didn’t use the same methods across these dfiferent studies. I also wonder if possibly some beta-carotene gets degraded in canned foods but I haven’t looked into that either. 1.2µg/g is quite a lot, if my math is right that’s like 200 IUs of beta carotene per 100g of black beans. However from what I’ve read it takes 12 IUs of beta carotene to form 1 IU of reintol, so the RAE amount is 16 IUs. Compared to the white kidney beans which according to the study Frank posted has at the worst 41 IUs of beta carotene per 100g, or 3.5 IUs of RAE per 100g.
Might seem a lot but the RAE is still quite low. According to nutrition facts in my country a sirloin steak has about 20 IUs of retinol per 100g.
Also I don’t think these studies measure absorption, that could be another factor, how much of that carotene actually gets absorbed by humans.
Also I don’t think any of these studies have looked at absorption, how much of this beta-carotene is actually absorbable, that could be another factor.
Hi Mats,
There have been studies that have tried to quantify the absorption of the beta carotenes. The results are highly variable and individualistic and very much depend on what other food and fats are included in the same meal.
The comment system on this website is quite weird. If I make write two comments in quick succession the second one doesn’t show up, making me believe it didn’t get submitted properly. But then later on it shows up, either a couple of hours later or even a whole 24+ hours later. Maybe it’s some kind of anti-spam system but its algorithm seems overly aggressive.
Anyways do you have any thoughts on the korean paper I linked to, where they measured the beta carotene in black beans?
Sorry, I’ve not had time to read it yet.
Ok, please get back to us when you’ve had time to look at it.
Another thing the nutritional database got wrong was the vitamin ‘c’ in meat. They simply “assumed” it was zero and have listed it as such ever since, but in reality, even meat contains a small, but adequate level of vitamin ‘c’, though a lot would be gone from too much cooking, so some of it raw or rare would be in order for carnivores..
The vitamin c info is interesting. Thanks.
I assuming that you are not eating liver on your carnivore diet?
Hi Grant,
Thanks for your fascinating 3 books. Due to my failing health, I’ve been doing your diet for 2 weeks now. I have noticed that my cravings for junk food have significantly lessened during this time. In fact, I’m somewhat amazed by this, and feel that maybe this diet is providing much better nutrition than my previous “healthy” diet, since I can feel more satisfied and go between meals much longer.
This question might be a bit off topic, but what do you think of the possibility that high VA levels in the body cause increased sensitivity to EMF fields, such as from mobile phones, base stations and even sensitivity to computer monitor screens? After reading your books I discovered the increased risk of skin cancer can be linked to the VA molecules absorbing this light like a sponge. The reasons I think it may be related is that EMF is radiation, an individual’s sensitivity seems to be bio-accumulative and I don’t believe genetic predisposition is a major factor to explain differences in a person’s sensitivity levels.
The reason I mention this is because I am extremely sensitive to monitor screens. My solution has been to revert back to an old CCFL monitor (which I find far less harsh than LED light), and reduce the RGB settings to minimise screen flicker (since none of those monitors were made flicker free). Anyway, my brother joked that maybe I’m so sensitive to this light because I have alot of VA in my eyes. But he may just be right!
Something that still remains an enigma whilst doing this diet is butter. I’ve had to resort back to it from time to time, because I feel it is necessary to sweep up the naked retinol in my body. I do feel significantly better when I do this. I am somewhat reassured I’m doing the right thing here, since if I have half an apple it makes me feel significantly worse (nausea and a slight urge to throw up). This tells me that the VA in the apple is making me ill, but the VA in butter is doing less harm than the benefit of it’s fat lipid properties. I know you mentioned this aspect in your last book on breast cancer. It would be great to learn more about the effects of butter on this diet and what role it could play.
Thanks for the comments and questions.
EMF interaction – sure is possible. The Swedish cancer-autoimmune rate study I referenced in my breast cancer book the authors do highly suspect EMFS. Worth reading. I think anything that damages cell membranes and thus allows more VA to enter the more rapidly can be a factor. I’m really thinking that combination is what we need to be concerned about. That’s very interesting about butter. I’ve been too chicken to try adding it back. Glad to hear it’s working for you. Makes sense too.
Is a blacklight equally useful as a fluoroscope? Also if I understand correctly, the light will not show the most dangerous form of vitamin A? What do you do then?