Vitamin A Blog

All About Vitamin A: Retinol vs. Beta-Carotene and the Myth of Vitamin A Toxicity

We’re entering an era of food tribalism—animal-based vs plant-based, liver lovers vs carrot crunchers—but what if we told you this isn’t a battle? Vitamin A isn’t just one single nutrient. It’s a family of compounds, each with their own unique strengths, and there are benefits in embracing both.

Let’s talk about the two main players: retinol (the animal-based form) and beta-carotene (the plant-based precursor). Both are powerful, both are important, and both have been misunderstood in the wellness world.

What is Retinol?

Retinol is often called preformed vitamin A—it’s ready for your body to use immediately. No conversions, no waiting in line. It’s found in:

• Liver (especially beef, chicken, or cod)

• Emu oil

• Egg yolks

• Grass-fed butter

• Full-fat dairy

Why Retinol Is Amazing

• Supports night vision and helps you see in low light

• Maintains healthy mucous membranes in the eyes, lungs, and gut

• Helps build skin, bones, and immune function

• Vital for fertility, fetal development, and hormone health

Retinol is fast-acting and powerful. And yes, you can get too much of it—but only from high-dose synthetic supplements or extreme liver consumption. Whole food-based retinol is safe, balanced, and time-tested. And, from a lens of body literacy, the body will give warning signs long before toxicity is a concern, like nausea or fatigue.

Not into eating liver? Our Animal Gummies offer a gentle, real-food source of retinol, giving you the benefits of liver—without the taste. Perfect for supporting your skin, hormones, and immune system in a nourishing, sustainable way.

What is Beta-Carotene?

Beta-carotene is a plant-based precursor to vitamin A, and your body converts it into retinol—but only if and when it needs to. That built-in regulation means there’s no risk of overdose, making it incredibly safe, even in high amounts found in supplements.

What happens to the beta carotene that the body doesn't convert to retinol? It goes to work as a powerful antioxidant, especially supporting eye health, skin protection, and reducing inflammation.

Natural Sources of Beta-Carotene (Beyond Carrots)

Sure, carrots and sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene—but so are a surprising number of herbs and fruits, many of which we use in our apothecary.

Plant and Herbal Sources of Beta-Carotene

• Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin

• Spinach, kale, bell peppers

• Goji berries

• Schisandra berries

• Mango and orange peel

• Turmeric

• Calendula

These plants don’t just offer beta-carotene—they also bring along polyphenols, minerals, and liver-loving support that round out the benefits.

Our Mineral Nectar GAZE blends carrot, mango, and turmeric to deliver natural beta-carotene and eye-loving antioxidants that help protect against blue light and support vision.

You can also bring radiant herbal allies like turmeric and calendula into your routine with Golden Gut—a gut-soothing blend designed to enhance digestion, absorption, and whole-body glow.

The Myth of Vitamin A Toxicity

To get right to the point: vitamin A toxicity from whole foods is extremely rare.

• Synthetic vitamin A (like high-dose supplements) can build up and cause toxicity over time

• Whole food sources, such as liver, yolks, and grass-fed butter, naturally come with cofactors that help regulate absorption—nature always comes with checks and balances!

• Beta-carotene, found in herbs and plants, is self-regulating—your body only converts what it needs, and the rest stays in antioxidant form

Ultimately, in our modern age, we’re more likely to see vitamin A deficiency than toxicity—especially in women and children.

Pro tip: Vitamin A’s function depends on mineral cofactors like copper and iron. Our Iron + Copper Mineral Nectar helps bridge that gap—ensuring your fat-soluble nutrients are supported and bioavailable.

Let Food and Plants Work Together

Rather than picking a side on the beta-carotene vs retinol debate, we can simply do what nature has always intended: use both forms.

• Retinol builds and regenerates.

• Beta-carotene protects and fortifies.

Our ancestors didn’t choose—they consumed both through a nutrient-dense, colorful, full-spectrum diet. We can do the same.

If you’re eating egg yolks, butter, and liver while sipping schisandra and snacking on goji berries—you’re doing it right.

Looking to support your skin from the inside out with these building and protective nutrients? Our Skin Food Herbal Electrolyte Mix combines fat-soluble vitamins, herbal antioxidants, and skin-specific botanicals to nourish and repair deeply from within.

Don’t fall for the myth that one form of vitamin A is superior. Your body thrives when it’s given both the building blocks (retinol) and the defensive shields (beta-carotene and other carotenoids).