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