Digital Social Hour: The Vitamin A Lie – Why Your 'Healthy' Diet May Be Toxic | Thor Torrens DSH #986
Released on December 16, 2024
In episode #986 of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a compelling dialogue with guest Thor Torrens, delving deep into the controversial topic of vitamin A toxicity. This episode unravels the historical context, modern implications, and personal experiences surrounding the excessive intake of vitamin A, challenging conventional notions of what constitutes a healthy diet.
1. The Origins of Vitamin A Fortification
Thor Torrens begins by tracing the fortification of foods with vitamin A back to 1970. He highlights how government-mandated programs introduced vitamin A into everyday staples such as dairy, cereals, grains, and baby formula. This widespread addition was initially perceived as a public health advancement.
"In 1970, they decided mandate fortification programs of dairy, cereals, grains, baby formula. Ten years later, starting in 1980, you start to see all the autoimmune disease exponentially rise." (00:00)
2. The Hidden Dangers of Vitamin A
Torrens argues that vitamin A is not a benign nutrient but a fat-soluble toxin known as retinol. He emphasizes that when consumed in excess, vitamin A accumulates in the liver, leading to potential toxicity.
"Vitamin A is not a vitamin. It's actually retinol, which is an alcohol... it is a fat soluble toxin." (00:26)
He references the book "Poisoning for Profits" by Grant Ginroux, which significantly influenced his perspective on the subject. Torrens explains how the early research by Rockefeller scientists and subsequent global policies have masked the true dangers of excessive vitamin A intake.
3. Rise in Autoimmune Diseases and Birth Defects
The conversation moves to the correlation between increased vitamin A consumption and the surge in autoimmune diseases observed since the 1980s. Torrens also touches upon the role of vitamin A in birth defects, noting its presence in multivitamins and prenatal supplements.
"A lot of women know and a lot of doctors that deal with pregnant women know, hey, vitamin A causes birth defects." (02:56)
He shares a personal anecdote about his wife's reluctance to take prenatal vitamins containing vitamin A, highlighting the inherent risks associated with its consumption during pregnancy.
4. Sources of Vitamin A Toxicity
Torrens identifies several modern sources contributing to excessive vitamin A intake:
-
Dietary Supplements and Multivitamins: Most multivitamins contain 150-200% of the RDA for vitamin A, surpassing the recommended daily allowance of 3,000 IUs.
"Majority of multivitamins have 150 to 200% the RDA... we're kind of health accountants." (12:10)
-
Medications: Acne treatments like Accutane and Retin A are significant contributors to acute vitamin A toxicity, presenting numerous side effects akin to those of autoimmune conditions.
"Accutane is a way people are getting acutely poisoned by vitamin A... it's a total crime against humanity." (19:54)
-
Fortified Foods and Seasonal Plants: The push to consume colorful, non-seasonal plants year-round, popularized by trends like "eat the rainbow", inadvertently increases vitamin A intake.
"Eat the rainbow was brought to us by Sesame Street... we're not supposed to be eating colorful seasonal plants 365 days a year." (09:23)
5. Personal and Community Experiences
Torrens shares his journey of hypervitaminosis A, resulting from an overzealous approach to nutrition. Despite striving for optimal health through liver consumption, cod liver oil, and various vegetables, he experienced significant health issues, including joint pain and psoriasis.
He introduces Grant Ginroux's transformative discovery, where a low vitamin A diet reversed severe health conditions in Ginroux, including chronic kidney disease and eczema.
"Nine years later, no dialysis, no more eczema... reverse to brown hair. No more joint pain." (07:51)
Torrens emphasizes that hypervitaminosis A is prevalent, affecting approximately one out of three people, and underscores the importance of monitoring vitamin A intake to prevent long-term health repercussions.
6. The Liver: The Commander of Detoxification
Central to Torrens' argument is the role of the liver in managing vitamin A toxicity. Excess vitamin A burdens the liver, impairing its ability to detoxify the body effectively. This stagnation can lead to conditions like cholestasis, where bile circulation is hindered, resulting in various health issues such as migraines and skin problems.
"Cholestasis is basically, it's a stagnant bile, stagnant liver. It's basically in your blood. This is a toxin poisoning in your bloodstream." (16:34)
He critiques modern health practices that over-supplement without considering the liver's capacity to process these nutrients, leading to a cycle of dependency and chronic health issues.
7. Critique of Modern Health Trends
Torrens is highly critical of current health trends and the supplement industry. He argues that many health gurus and biohackers promote excessive supplementation without considering individual needs or conducting proper testing.
"If you are selling supplements, even if it's a safe supplement, that supplement's only going to work for 70 to 80% of people... you can't just say, hey, take this at this amount and good luck." (24:28)
He highlights the lack of regulation in supplement manufacturing, especially those produced in countries like China, raising concerns about contaminants and inconsistent quality.
8. Solutions and Community Support
Torrens advocates for a low vitamin A diet as a solution to reversing toxicity and improving overall health. He shares success stories from his community, where members have experienced significant improvements by reducing vitamin A intake.
"A lot of our clients and community members are like, I can't believe how much more calm and at peace I am and how much less anxiety I have just from eliminating vitamin A as much as I can." (14:42)
He promotes his community, One of Ones, available at thortorans.com, where members receive guidance on maintaining a low vitamin A lifestyle, including courses on nutrition, exercise, and detoxification.
9. Final Insights and Call to Action
In wrapping up, Torrens emphasizes the long-term commitment required to reduce vitamin A levels, citing that it may take three to five years to see significant changes.
"What you have to lose of Trying a low vitamin A diet. The other thing to know is, what we're seeing is it can take three to five years to get your levels down." (50:15)
He calls on listeners to educate themselves and take proactive steps in managing their vitamin A intake to prevent chronic diseases and enhance overall well-being.
Notable Quotes
- "Vitamin A is not a vitamin. It's actually retinol... it is a fat soluble toxin." (00:26) – Thor Torrens
- "Accutane is a way people are getting acutely poisoned by vitamin A... it's a total crime against humanity." (19:54) – Thor Torrens
- "Eat the rainbow was brought to us by Sesame Street... we're not supposed to be eating colorful seasonal plants 365 days a year." (09:23) – Thor Torrens
- "A lot of our clients and community members are like, I can't believe how much more calm and at peace I am..." (14:42) – Thor Torrens
Conclusion
Episode #986 of Digital Social Hour presents a provocative examination of vitamin A, challenging widely held beliefs about its role in a healthy diet. Through historical analysis, personal experiences, and scientific commentary, Thor Torrens makes a compelling case for re-evaluating our nutritional strategies to prevent toxicity and promote long-term health. Listeners are encouraged to question mainstream health narratives and consider the potential hidden dangers of substances deemed beneficial.
For more insights and to join the conversation, visit thortorans.com.