Is Bugs Bunny’s health in danger?

To the casual cartoon viewer, Bugs Bunny would seem to have an extremely high intake of vitamin A, through a diet that appears to be 100% carrots. Is Bugs in danger of getting too much vitamin A?

A couple of weeks ago I sent you an e-Alert (“Finding Middle Ground” 10/7/02) that addressed a common question about vitamin A: How much is too much? In response to that e-Alert, I heard from an HSI member named Algis who had this question:

“Discussing safe limits of vitamin A, your following statement could be wrong: ‘Safe limits are no more than 7,000 mg.’ In ‘The Book of Vitamin Therapy’ by Dr. Harold Rosenberg, he states, ‘4,000 IUs of vitamin A is only 2.4 mg.’ Please check if this is an error.”

The comment about 7,000 mg being an upper level suggested by some came from a message posted on the HSI Forum which I quoted at the beginning of the e-Alert. Algis is right – it appears to be an error – and I should have caught that. I expect that the writer in the Forum intended to say “7,000 IU” – not milligrams.

In any case, I would defer to HSI Panelist, Allan Spreen, M.D., who added a commentary to that e-Alert, recommending that 10,000 IU of vitamin A per day is adequate, and certainly a long way from getting too much. And Dr. Spreen added this advice: “It’s important that synthetic vitamin A be avoided. Use the fish oil type only.”

As for rabbits, I’m afraid I have no recommendations for Bugs. But if you still have questions or doubts about getting too much vitamin A, consult your doctor or a dependable nutritionist to set a daily dosage that’s a good fit for you.

And thanks again to Algis for letting me set the record straight.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute