Hi Jean-Louis,

I just read your material on carotenoids with interest, because it kind
of coincides with my interest in this area.  I started having an easier
time with my dry mucous membranes by eating squash.  Vitamin A helps
mucosal health.  I had read Paul Pitchford's opinion that people need
greater amounts of vitamin A for the liver in these polluted times.  I
decided I was going to give my daughter increased amounts of beta
carotene to see if it would have a beneficial effect.  I was going to
give her chlorophyll at the same time which supposedly enhances
beta-carotene conversion to vitamin A due to the enzymes.  Diabetics are
supposed to have trouble or be unable to convert beta carotene though,
so perhaps they shouldn't have the beta carotene at all.

I also tried this with myself.  I got some marine beta-carotene from
Dunaliella salina.  On the bottle it says that D. salina has the cis and
trans forms of beta-carotene and that the cis form percentage is higher
since the plant is grown in the sun and not underground.  It seems to me
though that when I take it I get a kind of overtaxed metabolism.  I'm
wondering just what the conversion process is and what glandular effects
it might have.  Apparently people who are hypothyroid can't convert beta
carotene either, so I'm wondering if glandular exhaustion has something
to do with that.

Your posting mentions that parasites gravely limit the amount of
beta-carotene usage.  I'm wondering also about candida albicans.  I
think I will go back to getting my beta-carotene from the food I eat.  I
found a book at the library called The Tri-color Diet by Martin Katahn,
PhD.  He also wrote another book about weightloss concerning doing your
exercise at the times your metabolism is geared the highest.

When my diabetic daughter was born she had massive cradle cap (even in
her eyebrows).  I got the idea that was a sign of liver tiredness.  It
could also have been something to do with candida.  I've been thinking
lately about trying some herbs that enhance glandular support like
astragalus.  Mary J.