Our bodies require certain nutrients to function. That might lead us to think that more is automatically better, but that's not the case. In fact, getting too much of a health-promoting vitamin or mineral can sometimes cause harm.

Today we'll take a close look at one such compound: Vitamin A, which is essential for both our overall health and bone health. However, studies have found that over-supplementation with certain forms of Vitamin A increases fracture risk.

We'll examine the research, identify a safe course of action, and you'll get two delicious recipes that contain a compound your body can safely convert into Vitamin A.

Vitamin A And Fracture Risk

Vitamin A includes several related compounds, such as retinol and retinyl esters, also called preformed vitamin A. The most commonly found forms of preformed vitamin A in supplements are retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate.

Studies have compared Vitamin A intake levels to fracture risk. One extensive meta-analysis looked at data from 319,077 participants over the age of 20.¹

They found that the relationship between Vitamin A and fracture risk can be charted in a U shape. With a low intake level of Vitamin A, fracture risk is comparatively high. As intake rises, fracture risk lowers. However, if Vitamin A intake is increased too much, fracture risk starts to grow again.¹

There's a middle-range supplementation that helps reduce fracture risk. That range is about 2,000-3,000 IU per day. In the Rancho Bernardo study, this intake was associated with the highest bone mineral densities. Participants in that study who took more or less Vitamin A than the recommended amount had lower bone density.²

Synopsis

Multiple studies have found that when participants got insufficient Vitamin A, they had a higher fracture risk. They also found that too much Vitamin A increased fracture risk. Risk was lowest when participants took 2000-3000 IU per day.

Beta-Carotene And Bone Health

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid. The label “provitamin A” indicates that the body can convert it into Vitamin A. But unlike complete Vitamin A, increasing the beta-carotene intake past a certain level hasn't been shown to harm bones.

In fact, studies on beta-carotene have shown that higher intakes provide additional bone benefits. One meta-analysis study examining the effects of beta-carotene on the risk of fracture concluded with the following summation:

“The present meta-analysis suggests that β-carotene intake was inversely associated with fracture risk, which was consistently observed for case-control and cohort studies. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this relationship.”³

This means that you can take beta-carotene to ensure your body has access to all the Vitamin A it needs, without increasing your fracture risk. The Save Institute recommends 5000 IU (3mg) of beta-carotene daily.

Synopsis

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid. Your body can convert it into Vitamin A. Studies have found that beta-carotene reduces fracture risk. And unlike Vitamin A, it doesn't start increasing fracture risk past a certain intake level. Get 5000 IU (3mg) of beta-carotene per day.

Food Sources Of Beta-Carotene

You can get beta-carotene from supplements and from a variety of foods. And there is plenty of reason beyond bone health to do so. Studies have linked beta-carotene with a reduced risk of lung cancer, metabolic disease, and even sunburn.^4,5

Like all carotenoids, beta-carotene is an antioxidant. So it provides protection from damaging free radicals, helping to prevent chronic illnesses. There are many common foods that are rich in beta-carotene. In fact, the word carotene comes from one of them: carrots!

Enjoy these rich sources of beta-carotene:

• Apricots*
• Asparagus*
• Broccoli*
• Cantaloupe*
• Carrots*
• Cherries
• Chinese cabbage
• Chives
• Dandelion leaves
• Grapefruit*
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Kale*
• Onions*
• Peas*
• Peppers*
• Plums
• Pumpkin*
• Spinach*
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes*
• Turmeric

*Foundation Foods

Synopsis

In addition to reducing fracture risk, beta-carotene has been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer, metabolic disease, and sunburn. See the list above for excellent food sources of beta-carotene.

Beta-Carotene Rich Recipes

To give you a head start on increasing your beta-carotene intake, here are two delicious recipes that feature foods from the list above:

What This Means To You

Your body has powerful natural processes that work together to keep you healthy and whole. When you provide your body with all the building blocks it needs, like beta-carotene, you can flourish– and your bones can stay strong.

If you’d like to include bone-healthy nutrients into your diet, check out Bone Appétit. Bone Appétit is the Save Institute's cookbook and meal planner. It's brimming with colorful vegetables that provide carotenoids like beta-carotene.

As you learn the distinctions between often-confused compounds like Vitamin A and beta-carotene, you gain the ability to make better-informed choices about your diet, your health, and your life. So keep learning!

References

¹ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28891953/

² https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24700407/

³ https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-020-03733-0

⁴ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18086246

⁵ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19321578