This is *not* safe.  Twenty years ago, I had a skin condition that seemed to
improve with vitamin A.  I knew that doses above 5,000 IU were not considered
safe.  At that time, beta-carotene was touted as a good supplement for larger
doses, because supposedly the beta-carotene is water-soluble, rather than
fat-soluble as vitamin A is.  Your body is only supposed to convert whatever
amount of beta-carotene is necessary for your own health into vitamin A, and then
the rest would wash out of your body harmlessly.  I checked three different
sources, both printed and live.
       Well, it didn't work out that way.  After months of this regimen, and
I was only taking about 20,000 IU/day of beta-carotene, I was forgetting
things.  People blamed it on being overwhelmed by motherhood, but I knew plenty of
other women who had two young children, and I did not think I was coping any
less well than they did.  Then the headaches started.  I never have headaches
unless something is wrong somehow with my health.  The clincher was the month I
made 8 ridiculous errors in my checkbook and was off by more than $400!
Fortunately, they were in my favor, so I didn't bounce any checks.  But that got
me to the doctor, who upon examination of me, proclaimed that the extra
beta-carotene was NOT washing out, and my brain was swelling.  My loss of memory and
headaches was because my brain wasn't fitting inside my skull very well!  I
had to go off all sources of vitamin A, including multi-vitamins, for one full
year before it was safe for me to even take the regular daily dose of 5,000 IU
again.
       The experience made me *very* respectful of the power of vitamins and
other supplements.  This woman needs to be very cautious about following this
plan with such a megadose of beta-carotene.
       Dee

Dee Kassing, BS, MLS, IBCLC
Collinsville, Illinois, in central USA

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