• Health Canada has recently issued a statement warning Canadians, especially expectant mothers, to discontinue use of two vitamin C products available in health food stores:

    §         New Roots Herbal Vitamin C8

    §         Vitazan Professional Vitamin C Advanced Ascorbate

     

    These products were improperly manufactured using vitamin A instead of vitamin C, exposing consumers to potential risks of toxicity.  Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that excess amounts are stored in fat cells.  It is rapidly absorbed and slowly cleared from the body.  Toxicity from vitamin A may result acutely from high-dose exposure over a short period of time or chronically from a lower intake.  The recommended daily dosage of vitamin A is 5000 IU.  During pregnancy, daily dosage should not exceed 3,300 IU as retinol or 5,000 IU of vitamin A obtained from the typical Canadian diet (2/3 vegetable and 1/3 animal sources) as a combination of retinol and carotenoids.  Amounts higher than these values may result in birth defects to unborn children.

     

    Vitamin A toxicity in children may result in:

    • Drowsiness
    • Fatigue
    • Irritability
    • Vomiting
    • Bulging of the fontanelles

     

    In adults, toxicity may result in:

    • Bone pain
    • Headaches
    • Dry scaly skin
    • Brittle nails
    • Hair loss
    • Gingivitis
    • Cheilosis (cracks at the corner of the mouth)
    • Hepatosplenomegaly (enlarged liver and spleen)
    • Visual disturbances

     

    Generally, symptoms disappear within a few days of discontinuation of supplemental vitamin A with no permanent repercussions. 

     

    For more information, please visit:

     

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2008/index-eng.php

     

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