Q. I’ve heard that too much vitamin A can be dangerous. I drink 4 oz. of carrot juice every day and I’m wondering if that might account for my dry skin.
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. While 4 oz. of carrot juice contains about 31,000 IU, this is in the form of beta carotene, a building block for vitamin A. Too much beta carotene shouldn’t cause the complications listed above, although it may well give your skin an orange hue.
