We have three similar carrot questions to share:
Q. I’ve heard that too much vitamin A can be dangerous. I drink 4 ounces of carrot juice every day (it’s delicious) and I’m wondering if that might account for my dry skin.
Q. Is it possible to consume too much vitamin A? I usually snack on three bags of baby cut carrots each week, each one containing 5.5 servings of carrots with 350 percent of the daily allotment of vitamin A per serving.
Q. I have been eating two or three pounds of carrots a week for a few months. My skin is turning orange, and it is more noticeable on my palms and the soles of my feet. Does beta-carotene affect this coloration? Would my body flush this substance out of my system if I quit eating carrots now?
A. Regular intake of vitamin A at a dose of more than 30,000 IU per day could cause problems like hair loss, poor appetite, bone pain, diarrhea and itchy, scaly skin. Such complications, however, are only associated with pre-formed vitamin A. Carrots and other vegetables contain beta carotene and other carotenoids, which are building blocks for vitamin A.
While 4 oz. of carrot juice contains about 31,000 IU, this is in the form of beta carotene. Too much beta carotene shouldn’t cause the complications listed above, although it may well give your skin an orange hue. There is little doubt that eating two or three pounds of carrots a week would likely turn your skin orange. Once you cut back, though, your skin should return to a more normal hue.
Then we received this question:
Q. This letter is in regard to the inquiry from one of your readers about what to do for an abnormally high sex drive.
I have read that a wineglassful of raw carrot juice first thing every morning will cool a man down within three weeks. I don’t know if there are any side effects, but you might pass it along to that poor oversexed fellow.
A. We hope your suggestion doesn’t discourage people from eating carrots. There’s no scientific data that Bugs Bunny’s favorite veggie dampens desire, but too much carrot juice can color someone orange–a disconcerting but not serious side effect. We seriously doubt that a wineglassful of raw carrot juice will lower libido, but for those who are willing to try we would love to learn about such an experiment. There are many people on this website would would love a non-toxic way to suppress their sex drive.
