Hypothesis : vitamin A (or metabolites) are reducing colour/ light perception, in particular yellow light perception.
Observations:
This hypothesis is based on a few observations:
1. Grant reported in his blog that the perception of yellow light, then other colours, was improved by about year 4 or vitamin A depletion.
Here is Grant reporting on it in a forum post also:
As you can see here he first reported yellow perception improved, then the other colours.
2. People in the Mike F thread ( who also think the vit A thing is absurd and follow a high a diet) genuinely appear to have a problem recognising he looked yellow ( he objectively did according to photoshop). Screens and cognitive bias aside, perhaps to them he actually looks fine and they are insensitive to yellow light.
3. We know vit A/ carotenes and associated compounds collect in the skin and eyes, and do reflect yellow ( and absorb UV and according to a study I read which seem to break them down into worse products by the way, and is damaging to the eye because of it). These yellow pigments may be relecting/blocking the retina from receiving yellow light and sensing it.
4. One of the symptoms of a disease called Stargart disease is colour blindness, and a diet low in vit a and carotenes is recommended for sufferers. And also:
'In humans, significantly better visual function was reported in a cross-sectional study of patients with a low dietary intake of vitamin A
Vitamin A in Stargardt disease-an evidence-based update - PubMed
Discussion:
A possible reason for this is the yellow/ orange pigments in the eye from the vit a / carotenes are directly reflecting the yellow light, like a shield, and so blocking it from being absorbed / processed/ seen.
Note this is different from absorbing light. I.e something has colour if it reflects light. Blue things reflect blue light, red reflect red, etc.
Perhaps people could track their colour perception and report results. Tetrachromacy and colour blind tests may be useful.
For those who wish to call this absurd or reply as if I am claiming this is proven fact :
Definition of a hypothesis: supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
Observations:
This hypothesis is based on a few observations:
1. Grant reported in his blog that the perception of yellow light, then other colours, was improved by about year 4 or vitamin A depletion.
Here is Grant reporting on it in a forum post also:
As you can see here he first reported yellow perception improved, then the other colours.
2. People in the Mike F thread ( who also think the vit A thing is absurd and follow a high a diet) genuinely appear to have a problem recognising he looked yellow ( he objectively did according to photoshop). Screens and cognitive bias aside, perhaps to them he actually looks fine and they are insensitive to yellow light.
3. We know vit A/ carotenes and associated compounds collect in the skin and eyes, and do reflect yellow ( and absorb UV and according to a study I read which seem to break them down into worse products by the way, and is damaging to the eye because of it). These yellow pigments may be relecting/blocking the retina from receiving yellow light and sensing it.
4. One of the symptoms of a disease called Stargart disease is colour blindness, and a diet low in vit a and carotenes is recommended for sufferers. And also:
'In humans, significantly better visual function was reported in a cross-sectional study of patients with a low dietary intake of vitamin A
Vitamin A in Stargardt disease-an evidence-based update - PubMed
Discussion:
A possible reason for this is the yellow/ orange pigments in the eye from the vit a / carotenes are directly reflecting the yellow light, like a shield, and so blocking it from being absorbed / processed/ seen.
Note this is different from absorbing light. I.e something has colour if it reflects light. Blue things reflect blue light, red reflect red, etc.
Perhaps people could track their colour perception and report results. Tetrachromacy and colour blind tests may be useful.
For those who wish to call this absurd or reply as if I am claiming this is proven fact :
Definition of a hypothesis: supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
Last edited:
