Vitamin A: In Daily Lives & for Measles

REMEMBER 200,000 IU per day for 2 days ONLY is for during measles
OTHERWISE around 1500 IU per day depending on weight - see charts in this
email

Dosage for children with measles 200,000 IU (100,000 IU in infant) Vitamin
A per day for 2 days
Maintainance Dosage - best thru diet and/or Cod liver oil - smaller amounts
- around 1500 IU's depending on their weight per Mary Megsen, MD
http://www.megson.com/jan10/jan10.html
Info below on food sources in the NIH Gov't website

Best Source - Cod Liver Oil
Other Sources - Retinol - what is used in 3rd World Countries
Last choice Carotenes (not easily converted in all to Vitamin A)


Natural - http://www.megson.com/BiologicalBasi...icalBasis.html
website relates to autism - but gives info on a good natural source
The fat oil form (cis) form of Vitamin A is found in highest concentrations
in cod liver oil

Synthetic - Retinol -
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupple...Retinolcs.html
Vitamin A supplements are available as either retinol or retinyl palmitate.
All forms of vitamin A are readily absorbed by the body.
Tablets or capsules are available in 10,000 IU, 25,000 IU, and 50,000 IU
doses.

Sheri Nakken

************
http://www.megson.com/BiologicalBasi...cketfinal.html
Mary Megsen works with Autism but the same issue - Vitamin A deficiency in
many of thse kids and makes since if MMR is related autism and Children
with measles helped with Vitamin A.

Q. What are the most common forms of Vitamin A and how are they different?
A. The three most common forms of Vitamin A are the following:
§ Vitamin A Palmitate
§ Beta Carotene
§ Retinyl Palmitate
Generally, Vitamin A is found in natural sources such as liver, milk fat,
and cold water fish. This form of Vitamin A is more absorbable in the body.
It is called the “cis” form of Vitamin A, and is generally oil at room
temperature.

The other forms of Vitamin A, generally found in multi-vitamins, are in a
solid state at room temperature and are less absorbable by the body.

Many items on the market, such as skim milk and baby formula, use Vitamin A
in the form of A Palmitate, which is water-soluble. These children need the
lipid-soluble form of Vitamin A found in liver, kidney, milk fat and cod
liver oil

Q How does cod liver oil work?
A. Dr. Megson has found that Vitamin A in the natural form, such as cod
liver oil, helps to rebuild areas in the brain, called receptors, that
affect vision and speech. These areas are dramatically affected in children
with developmental delays, such as autistic spectrum disorders. This helps
to explain some of the commonly seen characteristics in children with
autism such as the “sideways” glance and decreased or no speech.

Q. How do we know whether it’s Vitamin A or DHA or EPA in the cod liver oil
that is having these effects?
A. DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids that studies have shown to be
critical for a variety of health problems, including bi-polar disorder and
other forms of biologically based brain disorders, including schizophrenia.
While these are fish oils, they do not contain the high levels of Vitamin
A that is found in the liver of the cold-water fish. It is these
concentrated levels of Vitamin A that are critical for the visual
reconnection we are seeing in the children. The “sideways” glance that is
typical in many children with autism disappears quickly on cod liver oil.

Q. What should I look for when I go to buy cod liver oil?
A. Good quality brands will have a lot number and expiration date.
Purchase from companies with solid reputations for quality.

Q. How long will my child have to take cod liver oil?
A. Probably for a lifetime. The US RDA is 5000IU for an adult. However,
Vitamin A in the form the body really needs is found in milk fat, liver,
cold water fish liver—things that people don’t eat in today’s diet.
Therefore, to even get the recommended daily allowances in the proper form,
people will need to eat more of these foods or take cod liver oil. In
autism, the Vitamin A is helping to reconnect the areas in the brain,
affecting vision and language that have been weakened or disconnected.

**********
SOURCE - important to find a source of Cod Liver Oil that is MERCURY FREE
as well as free of other contaminants

http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/...r_Oil_C_150_Sp
ec802.html

excerpt
Cod Liver Oil is being used in children's health based on the findings of
Dr. Mary Megson of Richmond, Virginia, to help support Vitamin A
absorption. Cod Liver Oil contains 10% of the cis form of Vitamin A, as
well as "14 hydroxyretroretinol". Dr. Megson has found that these natural
forms of Vitamin A in Cod Liver Oil stimulate retinoid receptors.

It is important when using Cod Liver Oil to be extremely careful in
selecting a source. Many Cod Liver Oils available in traditional outlets
are standardized with synthetic Vitamin A palmitate. Furthermore, much of
the oil available can be contaminated or contain elevated levels of heavy
metals, pesticides or PCB's. It is also critical to insure that Cod Liver
Oil is stable and does not turn rancid.

Kirkman Laboratories only uses Cod Liver Oil which contains all natural
vitamins A & D. No synthetic standardization has occurred. In addition, our
oil has been vacuum dried and deodorized plus it has gone through a
filtration and distillation process to remove heavy metals, pesticides and
PCB's. A complete analysis of the oil has verified the absence of these
compounds to detectable limits. Results of these analyses are available on
request.

Cod Liver Oil can become rancid over time from exposure to air and heat by
autoxidation. When this occurs, peroxides develop in the oil. Kirkman adds
vitamin E to our Cod Liver Oil to stop any potential oxidation process. In
addition, a peroxide test is performed on the oil to insure a value which
will assure freshness. The European Pharmacopeia allows up to 10.0
millequivalents/kilogram of peroxides in Cod Liver Oil to be considered
fresh and non-rancid. Kirkman's product has a typical peroxide value of
only 2.9 mEq/kg.

***********


http://www.update-software.com/abstracts/AB001479.htm
Using Retinol (an animal form but synthetic - not from Fish Oil)(but dose
would be similar)

REMEMBER 200,000 IU per day for 2 days ONLY is for during measles
OTHERWISE around 1500 IU per day depending on weight - see charts in this
email

excerpts
"Background: Measles is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and
mortality. Vitamin A deficiency is a recognised risk factor for severe
measles. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends administration of
an oral dose of 200,000 IU (or 100,000 IU in infants) of vitamin A per day
for two days to children with measles in areas where vitamin A deficiency
may be present."

"Reviewers' conclusions: Although we did not find evidence that a single
dose of 200,000 IU of vitamin A per day was associated with reduced
mortality among children with measles, there was evidence that the same
dose given for two days was associated with a reduced risk of overall
mortality and pneumonia specific mortality. The effect was greater in
children under the age of two years. There were no trials that compared a
single dose with two doses, although the precision of the estimates of
trials that used a single dose were similar to the trials that used two
doses."

*********
Government Information

REMEMBER according to Weston Price Carotenoids should NOT be
used...............

But look at the other info here for a fuller picture

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/vita.html


Vitamin A and Carotenoids

Vitamin A: What is it?

Vitamin A is a family of fat-soluble vitamins. Retinol is one of the most
active, or usable, forms of vitamin A, and is found in animal foods such as
liver and eggs and in some fortified food products.

Retinol is often called preformed vitamin A. It can be converted to retinal
and retinoic acid, other active forms of the vitamin A family (1-4).

Some plant foods contain darkly colored pigments called provitamin A
carotenoids that can be converted to vitamin A. In the U.S., approximately
26% and 34% of vitamin A consumed by men and women is provided by
provitamin A carotenoids (1).

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid that is more efficiently
converted to retinol than other carotenoids (1-4).

For example, alpha-carotene and b-cryptoxanthin are also converted to
vitamin A, but only half as efficiently as beta-carotene (1). Lycopene,
lutein, and zeaxanthin are other carotenoids commonly found in food. They
are not sources of vitamin A but may have other health promoting
properties. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) encourages consumption of
carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables for their health-promoting benefits.

Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction,
cell division and cell differentiation, which is the process by which a
cell decides what it is going to become (1, 5-8).

It helps maintain the surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory,
urinary, and intestinal tracts (9). When those linings break down, bacteria
can enter the body and cause infection (9). Vitamin A also helps maintain
the integrity of skin and mucous membranes that function as a barrier to
bacteria and viruses (10-12).

Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system (2, 5, 13). The immune system
helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that
destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A may help lymphocytes, a
type of white blood cell that fights infections, function more effectively.

Some carotenoids, in addition to serving as a source of vitamin A, have
been shown to function as antioxidants in laboratory tests. However, this
role has not been consistently demonstrated in humans (1). Antioxidants
protect cells from free radicals, which are potentially damaging
by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of
some chronic diseases (3, 14-16).

What foods provide vitamin A?

Preformed vitamin A is found in animal foods such as whole eggs, whole milk
and liver.

Most fat free milk and dried nonfat milk solids sold in the US are
fortified with vitamin A to replace the vitamin A lost when the fat is
removed (17). Fortified foods such as fortified breakfast cereals also
provide vitamin A. Provitamin A carotenoids are abundant in darkly colored
fruits and vegetables. Tables 4 and 5 at the end of this document list
animal sources of vitamin A and a variety of plant sources of provitamin A
carotenoids (18).

It is important for you to regularly eat foods that provide vitamin A or
beta-carotene even though vitamin A is stored in the liver (2). Stored
vitamin A will help meet needs when intake of provitamin A carotenoids or
preformed vitamin A is low (19, 20).

What is the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin A for children and
adults?

The latest recommendations for vitamin A are given in the Dietary Reference
Intakes developed by the Institute of Medicine.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) is the umbrella term for a group of
reference values used for planning and assessing diets for healthy people.

One of those references values, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), is
the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient
requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in each age and
gender group (1).

RDAs for vitamin A are listed as Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) to
account for the different activities of retinol and provitamin A
carotenoids. In the table below, RDAs are also listed in International
Units (IU) because food and some supplement labels list vitamin A content
in International Units (1 RAE in micrograms (ug) = 3.3 IU). The 2001 RDAs
for adults and children (21) in ug RAE and IUs are:

Infants 0 to 6 mos 400 ug or 1330 IU
7 to 12 most 500 ug or 1665 IU
But hard to establish - depends on breastmilk

Children 1-3 300 ug or 1000 IU
4-8 400 ug or 1333 IU
9-13 600 ug or 2000 IU

Adults - see webpage

When can vitamin A deficiency occur?

Vitamin A deficiency rarely occurs in the United States, but it is still a
major public health problem in the developing world.

At least 3 million children develop xeropthalmia, damage to the cornea of
the eye, and 250,000 to 500,000 go blind each year from a deficiency of
vitamin A (1). Most of these children live in developing countries. Night
blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency. In ancient
Egypt it was known that night blindness could be cured by eating liver,
which was later found to be a rich source of vitamin A (2). Vitamin A
deficiency contributes to blindness by making the cornea very dry and
promoting damage to the retina and cornea(23).


Vitamin A deficiency diminishes the ability to fight infections.

In countries where immunization programs are not widespread and vitamin A
deficiency is common, millions of children die each year from complications
of infectious diseases such as measles. (9). When there is not enough
vitamin A, cells lining the lung lose their ability to remove
disease-causing microorganisms. This may contribute to the pneumonia
associated with vitamin A deficiency (2,10,11).

There is increased interest in subclinical forms of vitamin A deficiency,
described as low storage levels of vitamin A that do not cause overt
deficiency symptoms. This mild degree of vitamin A deficiency may increase
children’s risk of developing respiratory and diarrheal infections,
decrease growth rate, slow bone development, and decrease likelihood of
survival from serious illness (8, 23, 24, 25). Children living in the
United States who are considered to be at increased risk for subclinical
vitamin A deficiency include:

toddlers and preschool age children,
children living at or below the poverty level,
children with inadequate health care or immunizations,
children living in areas with known nutritional deficiencies,
recent immigrants or refugees from developing countries with high incidence
of vitamin A deficiency or measles, and
children with diseases of the pancreas, liver, intestines, or with
inadequate fat digestion/absorption (9)
Vitamin A deficiency can occur when vitamin A is lost through chronic
diarrhea, and through an overall inadequate intake, as is often seen with
protein-calorie malnutrition.

Low plasma retinol concentrations indicate depleted levels of vitamin A.
This occurs with vitamin A deficiency but also can result from an
inadequate intake of protein, calories and zinc. These nutrients are needed
to make Retinol Binding Protein (RBP), which is essential for mobilizing
vitamin A from your liver and transporting vitamin A to your general
circulation (1).

Iron deficiency can also limit the metabolism of vitamin A, and iron
supplements provided to iron deficient individuals may improve vitamin A
nutriture as well as iron status (1).

Excess alcohol intake depletes vitamin A stores. Also, diets high in
alcohol usually do not provide recommended amounts of vitamin A (1).

It is very important for anyone who consumes excessive amounts of alcohol
to include good sources of vitamin A in his or her diet. However, Vitamin A
supplementation may not be recommended for individuals who abuse alcohol
because alcohol may increase liver toxicity associated with excess intakes
of vitamin A (1,26 ). A medical doctor would need to evaluate this
situation and determine the need for vitamin A supplementation.

Who may need extra vitamin A to prevent a deficiency?
Vitamin A deficiency rarely occurs in the United States, but the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have issued joint statements about vitamin A and
children’s health. Both agencies recommend vitamin A administration for all
children diagnosed with measles in communities where vitamin A deficiency
is a serious problem and where death from measles is greater than 1%. In
1994, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended vitamin A
supplementation for two subgroups of children likely to be at high risk for
subclinical vitamin A deficiency. These subgroups were children 6-24 months
of age who had been hospitalized with measles and hospitalized children
older than 6 months (27).

Fat malabsorption can promote diarrhea and prevent normal absorption of
vitamin A.

This is most often seen with cystic fibrosis, sprue, pancreatic disorders,
and after stomach surgery. Healthy adults usually have a reserve of vitamin
A stored in their livers and should not be at risk of deficiency during
periods of temporary or short term fat malabsorption. Long-term problems
absorbing fat, however, may result in deficiency, and in these instances
physicians may advise vitamin A supplementation (9).

Vegetarians who do not consume eggs and dairy foods need greater amounts of
provitamin A carotenoids to meet their need for vitamin A (1).

It is important for vegetarians to include a minimum of five servings of
fruits and vegetables daily and to regularly choose dark green leafy
vegetables and orange and yellow fruits to consume recommended amounts of
vitamin A.

What is the association between vitamin A, beta carotene and cancer?

Surveys suggest an association between diets rich in beta-carotene and
vitamin A and a lower risk of some types of cancer (2, 28).

There is evidence that a higher intake of green and yellow vegetables or
other food sources of beta-carotene and/or vitamin A may decrease the risk
of lung cancer (29). However, a number of studies that tested the role of
beta-carotene supplements in cancer prevention did not find it to be
protective (30). In a study of 29,000 men, incidence of lung cancer was
greater in the group of smokers who took a daily supplement of
beta-carotene (31).

The Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial, a lung cancer chemoprevention
trial that provided randomized subjects with supplements of beta-carotene
and vitamin A, was stopped after researchers discovered that subjects
receiving beta-carotene had a 46% higher risk of dying from lung cancer
than those who did not receive beta-carotene (32). The Institute of
Medicine (IOM) states that “beta-carotene supplements are not advisable for
the general population,” although they also state that this advice “does
not pertain to the possible use of supplemental beta-carotene as a
provitamin A source for the prevention of vitamin A deficiency in
populations with inadequate vitamin A nutriture” (1).

Can an excess intake of vitamin A promote osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis, a disorder characterized by porous, weak bones, is a serious
public health problem for more than 10 million Americans, 80% of whom are
women.

Another 18 million Americans have decreased bone density, which precedes
the development of osteoporosis. Researchers have identified many factors
that increase the risk for developing osteoporosis, including being female,
thin, inactive, at advanced age, and having a family history of
osteoporosis. An inadequate dietary intake of calcium, cigarette smoking
and excessive intake of alcohol also increase the risk of developing
osteoporosis.

Researchers are now examining a potential new risk factor for osteoporosis:
an excess intake of vitamin A.

More at website - too large for list
Sheri

Vitamin A & Measles

Its amazing how they do it in the 3rd world, but never did it in the US and
why don't they give it in the US/UK/Canada/Europe/Australia/NZ with MMR -
could make a huge difference............but then they'd have to admit MMR
causes problems. Also should be given routinely for other issues and
deficiency.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...PubMed&list_ui
ds=2194128&dopt=Abstract
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Vitamin A in Children with Severe Measles
N Engl J Med. 1990 Dec 20;323(25):1774-5.

A randomized, controlled trial of vitamin A in children with severe measles.

Hussey GD, Klein M.

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, South
Africa.

BACKGROUND. Measles kills about 2 million children annually, and there is
no specific therapy for the disease. It has been suggested that vitamin A
may be of benefit in the treatment of measles. METHODS. We conducted a
randomized, double-blind trial involving 189 children who were hospitalized
at a regional center in South Africa because of measles complicated by
pneumonia, diarrhea, or croup. The children (median age, 10 months) were
assigned to receive either vitamin A (total dose, 400,000 IU of retinyl
palmitate, given orally; n = 92) or placebo (n = 97), beginning within five
days of the onset of the rash. At base line, the characteristics of the two
groups were similar. RESULTS. Although clinically apparent vitamin A
deficiency is rare in this population, the children's serum retinol levels
were markedly depressed (mean [+/- SEM], 0.405 +/- 0.021 mumols per liter
[11.6 +/- 0.6 micrograms per deciliter]), and 92 percent of them had
hyporetinemia (serum retinol level less than 0.7 mumols per liter [20
micrograms per deciliter]). Serum concentrations of retinol-binding protein
(mean, 30.1 +/- 2.0 mg per liter) and albumin (mean, 33.4 +/- 0.5 g per
liter) were also low. As compared with the placebo group, the children who
received vitamin A recovered more rapidly from pneumonia (mean, 6.3 vs.
12.4 days, respectively; P less than 0.001) and diarrhea (mean, 5.6 vs. 8.5
days; P less than 0.001), had less croup (13 vs. 27 cases; P = 0.03), and
spent fewer days in the hospital (mean, 10.6 vs. 14.8 days; P = 0.01). Of
the 12 children who died, 10 were among those given placebo (P = 0.05). For
the group treated with vitamin A, the risk of death or a major complication
during the hospital stay was half that of the control group (relative risk,
0.51; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.35 to 0.74). CONCLUSIONS. Treatment
with vitamin A reduces morbidity and mortality in measles, and all children
with severe measles should be given vitamin A supplements, whether or not
they are thought to have a nutritional deficiency.

PMID: 2194128 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

**********
http://www.whale.to/vaccine/citations4.html
Vitamin A & child mortality citations

http://66.70.140.217/vaccines/autism35.html
New Study Vitamin A & Autism: "Toxin in DPT Vaccine [may] Cause Autism
"When the live viral measles vaccine is given, it depletes the children of
their existing supply of Vitamin A (13), which negatively impacts the
retinoid receptors"

http://www.danasview.net/vitamina.htm
High Dose Vitamin A Protocol [for measles virus]
[The first portion of this page was written by Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless - a
physician working extensively with autism - author of the excellent book
Children With Starving Brains - available from my webpage
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/bookstor.htm#vaccine ]

http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Liter...tA&Measles.htm
Literature Search – Vitamin A and Measles
Scroll down a little way for beginning

tons more online

*********

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...PubMed&list_ui
ds=1625097&dopt=Abstract
Arrieta AC, Zaleska M, Stutman HR, Marks MI. Vitamin A levels in children
with measles in Long Beach, California. J Pediatr 1992;121:75-78.
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange,
California 92668.

Studies from Africa suggest that vitamin A supplementation may reduce
morbidity and mortality rates associated with measles among poorly
nourished children. We studied 20 children with measles in Long Beach,
Calif., and found that 50% (95% confidence interval; 28% to 72%) were
vitamin A deficient. This frequency among presumably well nourished
American children supports evaluation of vitamin A status as a part of
acute management of measles in the United States.

PMID: 1625097 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
********


http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/N...dy/study01.htm

Measles
Vitamin A for preventing secondary infections in children with measles--a
systematic review.
D'Souza RM; D'Souza R
J Trop Pediatr 2002 Apr;48(2):72-7

The objective of the present study was to determine whether vitamin A
prevents pneumonia, diarrhoea and other infections in children with
measles. A meta-analysis was carried out of randomized controlled trials
identified through a systematic search of the medical literature for
studies that used vitamin A to treat measles. A total of 492 children, aged
from 6 months to 13 years, were supplemented with vitamin A, and 536
children were given placebo in six trials, five of which were conducted in
hospitals and one in a community setting. The main outcome measures were:
incidence of pneumonia, diarrhoea, croup, and otitis media; and duration of
pneumonia, diarrhoea, fever and hospitalization. There was no significant
reduction in the incidence of pneumonia or diarrhoea but there was a 47 per
cent reduction in the incidence of croup (RR = 0.53; 95 per cent CI =
0.29-0.89) in children who were treated with 200 000 IU of vitamin A on 2
consecutive days. Only one study reported a 74 per cent reduction in the
incidence of otitis media (RR = 0.26 95 per cent CI = 0.05-0.92). There was
a statistically significant decrease in the duration of diarrhoea,
pneumonia, hospital stay and fever in individual studies. It was concluded
that vitamin A does have a beneficial effect on morbidity associated with
measles and should be used as a treatment for hospitalized measles cases.

************
http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/N...dy/study16.htm

Vitamin A levels and severity of measles.
American journal of diseases of children / AMA; VOL: 146 (2); p. 182-6

Frieden TR; Sowell AL; Henning KJ; Huff DL; Gunn RA

Recent studies show that vitamin A levels decrease during measles and that
vitamin A therapy can improve measles outcome in children in the developing
world. Vitamin A levels of children with measles have not been studied in
developed countries. We therefore measured vitamin A levels in 89 children
with measles younger than 2 years and in a reference group in New York
City, NY. Vitamin A levels in children with measles ranged from 0.42 to 3.0
mumol/L; 20 (22%) were low. Children with low levels were more likely to
have fever at a temperature of 40 degrees C or higher (68% vs 44%), to have
fever for 7 days or more (54% vs 23%), and to be hospitalized (55% vs 30%).
Children with low vitamin A levels had lower measles-specific antibody
levels. No child in the reference group had a low vitamin A level. Our data
show that many children younger than 2 years in New York City have low
vitamin A levels when ill with measles, and that such children seem to have
lower measles-specific antibody levels and increased morbidity. Clinicians
may wish to consider vitamin A therapy for children younger than 2 years
with severe measles. Additional studies of vitamin A in measles and other
infectious diseases, and in vaccine efficacy trials, should be done.

***********
http://sprojects.mmi.mcgill.ca/tropm.../treatment.htm
How is measles treated?

Vitamin A administered to children acutely ill with measles has been shown
to reduce mortality. Results from a trial in South Africa showed children
treated with vitamin A had a reduced risk of dying, recovered more quickly
from pneumonia and diarrhoea and had less croup. In addition, symptomatic
treatment for cases requires antibiotics to combat bacterial complications,
and oral rehydratation salts for dehydration following diarrhoea.
Case-fatality rates can be lowered if cases reach health care facilities
early where appropriate care is offered. For uncomplicated cases,
supportive fluids, antipyretics and nutritional therapy may be required.
Many children need increased food intake for four to eight weeks to recover
their pre-measles nutritional status

Source : WHO's page about Measles
*********
http://www.who.int/nut/vad.htm
Micronutrient deficiencies
Combating vitamin A deficiency

A few salient facts
• Between 100 and 140 million children are vitamin A deficient. (I would
suggest that some of this is true in US, UK, Australia, Canada, Europe and
other non-3rd world countries)

• An estimated 250 000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind
every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight.

• Nearly 600 000 women die from childbirth-related causes each year, the
vast majority of them from complications which could be reduced through
better nutrition, including provision of vitamin A.


The challenge
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in
children and raises the risk of disease and death from severe infections.
In pregnant women VAD causes night blindness and may increase the risk of
maternal mortality.

Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in 118 countries,
especially in Africa and South-East Asia, once again hitting hardest young
children and pregnant women in low-income countries.

Crucial for maternal and child survival, supplying adequate vitamin A in
high-risk areas can signifcantly reduce mortality. Conversely, its absence
causes a needlessly high risk of disease and death.

For children, lack of vitamin A causes severe visual impairment and
blindness, and significantly increases the risk of severe illness, and even
death, from such common childhood infections as diarrhoeal disease and
measles.

For pregnant women in high-risk areas, vitamin A deficiency occurs
especially during the last trimester when demand by both the unborn child
and the mother is highest. The mother’s deficiency is demonstrated by the
high prevalence of night blindness during this period. VAD may also be
associated with elevated mother-to-child HIV transmission.

The response: planting the seeds, cultivating the garden
WHO’s goal is the worldwide elimination of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) and
its tragic consequences, including blindness, disease and premature death.
To successfully combat VAD, short-term interventions and proper feeding in
infancy must be backed up by long-term sustainable solutions. The arsenal
of nutritional “well-being weapons” includes a combination of breastfeeding
and vitamin A supplementation, coupled with enduring solutions, such as the
promotion of vitamin A-rich diets and food fortification.

© WHO/NHD
The impact of this single supplementation on childhood mortality is as
great or greater than that of any one vaccine – and it costs only a couple
of cents a dose.

Planting the seeds. The basis for lifelong health begins in childhood.
Vitamin A is a crucial component:

Breastfeeding. Breast milk is a natural source of vitamin A. Promoting
breastfeeding is the best way to protect babies from VAD.

Vitamin A supplementation. For deficient children, the periodic supply of
high-dose vitamin A in swift, simple, low-cost, high-benefit interventions
has also produced remarkable results, reducing mortality by 23% overall and
by up to 50% for acute measles sufferers.

“Planting these seeds” between 6 months and 6 years of age can reduce
overall child mortality by a quarter in areas with significant VAD.
However, because breastfeeding is time-limited and the effects of vitamin A
supplementation capsules last only 4-6 months, neither are long-term
solutions. Rather, they should be seen as initial steps towards better
overall nutrition.

Cultivating the garden. Both literally and figuratively, the next phase is
necessary for long-term results:

Food fortification. Taking over where supplementation leaves off, food
fortification (e.g. sugar in Guatemala) maintains vitamin A status,
especially for high-risk groups and needy families.

Home gardens. For vulnerable rural families (e.g. in Africa and South-East
Asia), growing fruits and vegetables in home gardens complements dietary
diversification and fortification and contributes to better lifelong health.

********
http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases..._JAMA_META.PDF
this one takes a long time to load but is very interesting

• Vitamin A Supplementation and Child Mortality: A Meta-Analysis. W Fawzi,
T Chalmers, G Herrerra, F Mosteller. IAMA, 1993
http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases..._JAMA_META.PDF.

**********
"It is of interest to note that the 50% reduction in measles mortality is
the same if vitamin A supplementation is given preventively (i.e.
children's vitamin A levels are raised before they have measles) or as a
treatment for measles case management. Given that many children with
measles are never seen at health facilities the preventive strategy of
supplementation can have the biggest health impact. For maximum health
impact, programme managers should aim to reach at least 80% of children
6-59 months of age. "

http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases...ce/sci02.shtml

Vitamin A

Globally, 3 million children suffer clinical VAD (exhibiting the signs and
symptoms of eye damage and xerophthalmia). However, the full magnitude of
VAD often remains hidden: an estimated 140-250 million children under five
years of age are at risk of sub-clinical VAD, mainly in Asia and Africa.
Though showing none of the ocular signs or symptoms these children suffer a
dramatically increased risk of death and illness, particuarly from measles
and diarrhoea, as a consequence of VAD.

Long known to be a principle cause of childhood blindness (250 000-500 000
children lose their sight each year), VAD is now recognized as a major
contributing factor in an estimated 1-3 million child deaths each year.

Benefits of Vitamin A Supplementation to Child Health

Vitamin A is essential for the functioning of the immune system and the
healthy growth and development of children.

The simple provision of high-dose vitamin A supplements every 4-6 months
not only protects against blindness but has been repeatedly shown to have a
dramatic and multiple impact on the health of young children (6-59 months):

• Overall, all-cause mortality is reduced by 23%

• Measles mortality is reduced by 50%

• Diarrhoeal mortality is reduced by 33%

• 85% coverage can result in a 90% reduction in the prevalence of severe
xerophthalmia

Note: coverage below 25% is unlikely to have an impact on xerophthalmia.

It is of interest to note that the 50% reduction in measles mortality is
the same if vitamin A supplementation is given preventively (i.e.
children's vitamin A levels are raised before they have measles) or as a
treatment for measles case management. Given that many children with
measles are never seen at health facilities the preventive strategy of
supplementation can have the biggest health impact. For maximum health
impact, programme managers should aim to reach at least 80% of children
6-59 months of age.


Vitamin A supplementation has been shown to have a positive impact on child
mortality, particularly with measles and diarrhoea:

Measles/Vitamin A studies have shown that supplementation:

• Enhances immune response

• Reduces the severity of measles

• Decreases the incidence and/or severity of major complications
(diarrhoea, pneumonia, croup or otitis media)

• Results in fewer days inhospital

• Leads to faster recovery and fewer post-measles complications


Diarrhoea/Vitamin A studies have shown that supplementation:

• Reduces the frequency of moderate and severe diarrhoea

• Results in fewer signs and symptoms of dehydration

• Lowers clinic attendance and the frequency of diarrhoea-related hospital
admissions

Recent findings:

Vitamin A and Malaria: A recent study in Papua New Guinea found that when
young children were given vitamin A supplements three times a year they had
30% fewer malaria attacks and the number of malaria parasites in their
blood dropped by 36%.

Vitamin A and HIV/AIDS: Trials are currently on-going to determine if
vitamin A supplementation can reduce the mother-to-child transmission of
HIV during lactation.

Reference Documents: (see website for the links to these articles)

Click to see or download key reference documents

• Vitamin A Supplementation and Child Mortality in Developing Countries. G
Beaton, R Martorell, K Aronson, B Edmonston, G McCabe, C Ross, and B
Harvey. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 1994.

• Vitamin A Supplementation in Infectious Diseases: A Meta-Analysis. P
Glasziou, D Mackerras. BMI, 1993.

• Vitamin A Supplementation and Child Mortality: A Meta-Analysis. W Fawzi,
T Chalmers, G Herrerra, F Mosteller. IAMA, 1993
http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases..._JAMA_META.PDF.

• Vitamin A Deficiency and Attributable Mortality Among Under-5-Year-Olds.
J Humphrey, K.P.West Jr., A Summer. Bulletin of the World Health
Organization, 1992.

• IVACG Policy Statement on Vitamin A Diarrhoea and Measles, 1998.
http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases...CG_Measles.PDF

• Vitamin A and Public Health: Challenges for the Next Decade. D Ross.
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1998.

• Effect of Vitamin A Supplementation on Morbidity Due to Plasmodium
Flaciporum, A Shankar, et al, Lancet, 350: 203-09. 1999.

******
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2381.htm

Very important info here about sources
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnut...fications.html

Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Cod Liver Oil: Some Clarifications

by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

Several visitors to our website have noted inconsistencies in various
statements about vitamin A, vitamin D and cod liver oil. These issues
revolve around questions of dosage and safety.
Vitamin A Dosage:

We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated.
Synthetic vitamin A can indeed be toxic but natural vitamin A found in
foods like cod liver oil, liver and butterfat does not cause problems
except in very large amounts, and side effects from large doses of natural
vitamin A promptly resolve when the dosage is reduced.
As a general guideline, we recommend the following doses of vitamin A from
cod liver oil, along with a nutrient-dense diet that contains other vitamin
A-rich foods:

Children age 3 months to 12 years: A dose of cod liver oil that
provides about 5000 IU vitamin A daily
Children over 12 years and adults: A maintenance dose of cod liver oil
that provides about 10,000 IU vitamin A daily
Pregnant and nursing women: A dose of cod liver oil that provides about
20,000 IU vitamin A daily

Individuals under stress or wishing to use cod liver oil to treat a disease
condition may take much larger doses, even up to 90,000 IU vitamin A per
day, for a period of several weeks.
Vitamin D:

The recommended dosages for cod liver oil provide about 500 IU vitamin D
for children, 1000 IU vitamin D for adults, 2000 IU vitamin D for pregnant
and nursing women and up to 9000 IU for those taking large amounts of cod
liver oil to deal with stress and disease.

One of our writers has expressed the opinion that dosages over about 2000
IU per day can be toxic, especially for individuals who spend a lot of time
in the sun, and recommends routine testing if they are also taking cod
liver oil or vitamin D supplements.

Yet a number of studies show that a brief full-body dose of noonday summer
sun is comparable to taking between 10,000 and 25,000 IU of vitamin D.
Thirty minutes of exposure to noonday summer sun releases 50,000 IU into
the blood stream. Obviously, humans are designed to tolerate such large
amounts of vitamin D.

If you are a lifeguard or spend a lot of time in the sun, you do not need
to take supplemental vitamin D; however you still need to consume adequate
vitamin A. So, if you cut back or eliminate cod liver oil in the summer, be
sure to consume plenty of oily fish, liver and butterfat and egg yolks from
grass fed hens to ensure adequate vitamin A.

For a discussion of Vitamin D Toxicity, see

http://www.cholecalciferol-council.com/toxicity.pdf

This does not mean we do not recommend that some individuals have their
vitamin D levels tested. Such testing can be very useful in determining
vitamin D status and the effectiveness of cod liver oil or vitamin D
supplements.
Cod Liver Oil

As of February, 2005, we recommend the following brands of cod liver oil:

In Stores: Garden of Life, regular dose cod liver oil

By Mail Order:

* Radiant Life, high vitamin cod liver oil, (888) 593-8333,
radiantlifecatalog.com
* Blue Ice, high vitamin cod liver oil, (402) 338-5551, greenpasture.org
* In Europe, Healthspan Ltd., 0800 73 123 77, www.healthspan.co.uk
* In Australia, Melrose cod liver oil, email: geoff@melrosehealth.com.au

Note that 1 scant teaspoon of regular dose cod liver oil provides about
5,000 IU vitamin A while 1 scant teaspoon of high vitamin cod liver oil
provides about 10,000 IU vitamin A.

Some of the brands recommended in various articles on our website we no
longer endorse because the manufacturer is removing vitamin A out of
concerns of toxicity. An adequate dose of vitamin A-reduced cod liver oil
may supply more unsaturated fatty acids than is considered safe.

Warning: Many brands of cod liver oil are processed to remove all the
vitamins A and D and then have synthetic vitamins A and D added back in.
These products should be completely avoided as the synthetic versions of A
and D are toxic. For those living in Canada or overseas, where our
recommended brands are not available, be sure to contact the manufacturer
and inquire whether the A and D in their cod liver oil is naturally
occurring or synthetic.

Click here to become a member of the Foundation and receive our quarterly
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full of informative articles as well as sources of healthy food.

Copyright Notice: The material on this site is copyrighted by the Weston A.
Price Foundation.
Please contact the Foundation for permission if you wish to use the
material for any purpose.
Disclaimer: The information published herein is not intended to be used
as a substitute for appropriate care by a qualified health practitioner.

The Weston A. Price Foundation
PMB 106-380, 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington DC 20016
Phone: (202) 363-4394 | Fax: (202) 363-4396 | Web: www.westonaprice.org
General Information/Membership/Brochures/Website: info@westonaprice.org
Local Chapters and Chapter Leaders: chapters@westonaprice.org
Executive Director: bsanda@westonaprice.org

This page was posted on 27 FEB 2005.
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Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
Well Within & Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours (worldwide)
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