"I'd like to mention one interesting experiment concerned with super-vision and dietary vitamin A deprivation. One way to improve vision--even if the vision system is currently quantum-limited--is to absorb more quanta. I understand that during the war an effort was made to develop super-vision in the infrared by substituting vitamin A2 for vitamin Al in the diet, which should give a redward shift in the visual pigment absorption spectra. Experiments were done in Britain during World War II, but the project turned out to be infeasible with humans because it was difficult to induce sufficient vitamin A [deprivation] without endangering the general health of the observer. . ."
Anyway, we are back on track. I've found out I can set up a 'Limited Liability Company' with a PO Box, and a domain name and this should be enough to get past any chemical companies scrutiny 'legally'.
Some more research on the dangers of this is going to be required though. I assumed that vitamin A2 would be usable by the rest of the body in place of A1 because of the similar chemical structure. I guess not.
I'd really like to use the freedom of information act to acquire the data from the original 1940s experiments, but unfortunately I don't know what project name it was under. If anyone happens to know, please leave a comment.
Expect a bit of a delay for the next update. I'll be 'dealing with something' for the next two months, and unable to continue any research or make any progress.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Another dead end.
Dear Sir/Madam
We cannot provide you with a quote or sell you materials unless you have a legitimate address from a corporation, university, research institute or government institution. Please email us from your corporate email. A yahoo, msn, AOL, hotmail or gmail email id is not acceptable. As Corporate policy if you email us from one of the above mentioned accounts the mail is automatically sent to the trash. We do not sell to individuals. Our products are for research & development purposes only. For us to furnish you a quote and delivery time please send us the following
1. Name of the product
2. Purity required
3. CAS Number
4. Amount required
5. Our Catalog number (Please check for the latest catalog number on our website)
They wont even give me a fucking quote unless I have some kind of legitimate backing.Friday, September 4, 2009
Here we go...
So, I've found a company that offers dehydroretinol for therapeutic purposes for 'Darier's Disease' at 95% purity.
I've asked them for a quote.... Wish me luck...
I've asked them for a quote.... Wish me luck...
Update
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darier%27s_disease
I'm back, and there's actually some hope for this experiment after all.
I'm back, and there's actually some hope for this experiment after all.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Failure.
Looks like dehydroretinol synthesized in a lab is way too fucking expensive.
And the only product so far I've found that has dehydroretinol without contamination from other forms of vitamin A (beta-carotene, Retinyl palmitate, etc) in them is some kind of make-up. And I'm not about to try to eat that.
I did find out that anhydrolutein converts into dehydroretinal in mamals, but searches for that were even more futile.
So, I've followed up every lead, scoured one end of the internet to the other, poured over research documents and this is all I came up with:
>Materials. 3-Dehydroretinal was prepared from the liver oil of the Indian freshwaterfish Wallago attu (Balasundaram, Cama, Sundaresan & Varma, 1956). The livers were homogenized in a Waring Blendor and extracted repeatedly with light petroleum (b.p. 40-60°)-ether mixture. The extract was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4, filtered and reduced in volume. The concentrate was kept at - 300 overnight and the precipitated sterols were removed by filtration at -30°. The filtrate after reduction in volume in vacuo was saponified with ethanolic KOH and oxidized over MnO2 (Camaet al. 1952a). 3-Dehydroretinal was separated by chromatography on a water-deactivated alumina column. The crystalline material obtained after four crystallizations had E1% 1431 at 385m,.u in light petroleum. Oral feeding. The compound was dissolved just before use in refined deodorized groundnut oil containing 50% (w/w) of a-tocopherol.
Tl;dr - It can't be done. At least, not by me.
Sorry /x/, I have failed.
And the only product so far I've found that has dehydroretinol without contamination from other forms of vitamin A (beta-carotene, Retinyl palmitate, etc) in them is some kind of make-up. And I'm not about to try to eat that.
I did find out that anhydrolutein converts into dehydroretinal in mamals, but searches for that were even more futile.
So, I've followed up every lead, scoured one end of the internet to the other, poured over research documents and this is all I came up with:
>Materials. 3-Dehydroretinal was prepared from the liver oil of the Indian freshwaterfish Wallago attu (Balasundaram, Cama, Sundaresan & Varma, 1956). The livers were homogenized in a Waring Blendor and extracted repeatedly with light petroleum (b.p. 40-60°)-ether mixture. The extract was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4, filtered and reduced in volume. The concentrate was kept at - 300 overnight and the precipitated sterols were removed by filtration at -30°. The filtrate after reduction in volume in vacuo was saponified with ethanolic KOH and oxidized over MnO2 (Camaet al. 1952a). 3-Dehydroretinal was separated by chromatography on a water-deactivated alumina column. The crystalline material obtained after four crystallizations had E1% 1431 at 385m,.u in light petroleum. Oral feeding. The compound was dissolved just before use in refined deodorized groundnut oil containing 50% (w/w) of a-tocopherol.
Tl;dr - It can't be done. At least, not by me.
Sorry /x/, I have failed.
Another update
Might not need dehydroretinol after all, apparently some caroteniods convert to forms of Vitamin A in the intestines.
Seems, in fresh water fish Lutein converts dehydroretinol, but I can't find anything on this in humans.
Needs more research, but at least I have something useful to work with now.
Seems, in fresh water fish Lutein converts dehydroretinol, but I can't find anything on this in humans.
Needs more research, but at least I have something useful to work with now.
An update.
18 July 2009 - The chemical company I was planning on ordering the Vitamin A2 from still hasn't gotten back to me.
I found a type of baby formula that contains Vitamin A2. But looks like there are some forms of Vitamin A in it as well, Beta Carotene and Vitamin A Palmitate. Not sure if this makes it completely useless to me or not, but it's better than nothing, right?
At least I now have some good leads on where to search in the future.
I found a type of baby formula that contains Vitamin A2. But looks like there are some forms of Vitamin A in it as well, Beta Carotene and Vitamin A Palmitate. Not sure if this makes it completely useless to me or not, but it's better than nothing, right?
At least I now have some good leads on where to search in the future.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
So, here now that that's all out of the way... Here we go.
13 July, 2009 - Checked local stores and GNC for Vitamin A2 supplements. It seems because it only has 1/3rd the biological activity of Vitamin A, it's not very popular.
14 July, 2009 - Scoured the internet searching a company that offers Vitamin A2, or possibly custom vitamin supplements, found nothing. I received consult from a chemist, and found a website for the purchase of chemicals, unfortunately they might require company backing on orders. I've decided to try, at least.
15 July, 2009 - Still in the process of acquiring Vitamin A2.
13 July, 2009 - Checked local stores and GNC for Vitamin A2 supplements. It seems because it only has 1/3rd the biological activity of Vitamin A, it's not very popular.
14 July, 2009 - Scoured the internet searching a company that offers Vitamin A2, or possibly custom vitamin supplements, found nothing. I received consult from a chemist, and found a website for the purchase of chemicals, unfortunately they might require company backing on orders. I've decided to try, at least.
15 July, 2009 - Still in the process of acquiring Vitamin A2.
Possible perils
Anyway, like any human experimentation, there are things that could go wrong.
If I don't get the dosage of 3,4-dehyroretinol correct, I could suffer from hypervitaminosis. I've looked at this condition... Not appealing, in the least.
Also, the chemical company that is providing it, may not provide it in a form safe for human consumption. I'll be sure to thoroughly check this before doing anything.
Anyway, going to consult a Dietician before proceeding into the experiment. Right now things are just in the planned phase.
Also, disclaimer: Because of possible dangers, I'm withholding where I am buying this chemical. Anyone with half a brain could probably figure it out. However, I am not responsible for the actions of anyone undertaking anything detailed in this blog. If you want to seriously fuck yourself up go right ahead, but don't blame me when your skin starts peeling off. That's your fault for being a fucking idiot.
If I don't get the dosage of 3,4-dehyroretinol correct, I could suffer from hypervitaminosis. I've looked at this condition... Not appealing, in the least.
Also, the chemical company that is providing it, may not provide it in a form safe for human consumption. I'll be sure to thoroughly check this before doing anything.
Anyway, going to consult a Dietician before proceeding into the experiment. Right now things are just in the planned phase.
Also, disclaimer: Because of possible dangers, I'm withholding where I am buying this chemical. Anyone with half a brain could probably figure it out. However, I am not responsible for the actions of anyone undertaking anything detailed in this blog. If you want to seriously fuck yourself up go right ahead, but don't blame me when your skin starts peeling off. That's your fault for being a fucking idiot.
What I am doing.
Alright, some time ago, it came to my attention that a small quirk in the biochemistry of the eye allowed us to alter our visible spectrum.
"The following story dramatizes how photopigments determine what one can see. During World War II, the United States Navy wanted its sailors to be able to see infrared signal lights that would be invisible to the enemy. Normally, it is impossible to see infrared radiation because, as pointed out earlier, the wavelengths are too long for human photopigments. In order for humans to see infrared, the spectral sensitivity of some human photopigment would have to be changed. Vision scientists knew that retinal, the derivative of vitamin A, was part of every photopigment molecule and that various forms of vitamin A existed. If the retina could be encouraged to use some alternative form of vitamin A in its manufacture of photopigments, the spectral sensitivity of those photopigments would be abnormal, perhaps extending into infrared radiation. Human volunteers were fed diets rich in an alternative form of vitamin A but deficient in the usual form. Over several months, the volunteers' vision changed, giving them greater sensitivity to light of longer wavelengths. Though the experiment seemed to be working, it was aborted. The development of the "snooperscope," an electronic device for seeing infrared radiation, made continuation of the experiment unnecessary (Rubin and Walls, 1969). Still, the experiment demonstrates that photopigments select what one can see; changing those photopigments would change one's vision."
From http://vm.uconn.edu/~lundquis/links.html#sensation
I've got a nice repose of information on this topic, more links and research will be posted later.
So, I've decided that I'm going to try this Vitamin A2 diet, to see how well it works. So... Some relevant information about myself.
Age:21
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 150lbs
Physical condition: I work out for an hour at least 3 times a week, along with running at high altitude climates.
Previous medical conditions: Shingles.
Smoker: Yes.
Alcohol: Moderate.
Diet: Poor
"The following story dramatizes how photopigments determine what one can see. During World War II, the United States Navy wanted its sailors to be able to see infrared signal lights that would be invisible to the enemy. Normally, it is impossible to see infrared radiation because, as pointed out earlier, the wavelengths are too long for human photopigments. In order for humans to see infrared, the spectral sensitivity of some human photopigment would have to be changed. Vision scientists knew that retinal, the derivative of vitamin A, was part of every photopigment molecule and that various forms of vitamin A existed. If the retina could be encouraged to use some alternative form of vitamin A in its manufacture of photopigments, the spectral sensitivity of those photopigments would be abnormal, perhaps extending into infrared radiation. Human volunteers were fed diets rich in an alternative form of vitamin A but deficient in the usual form. Over several months, the volunteers' vision changed, giving them greater sensitivity to light of longer wavelengths. Though the experiment seemed to be working, it was aborted. The development of the "snooperscope," an electronic device for seeing infrared radiation, made continuation of the experiment unnecessary (Rubin and Walls, 1969). Still, the experiment demonstrates that photopigments select what one can see; changing those photopigments would change one's vision."
From http://vm.uconn.edu/~lundquis/links.html#sensation
I've got a nice repose of information on this topic, more links and research will be posted later.
So, I've decided that I'm going to try this Vitamin A2 diet, to see how well it works. So... Some relevant information about myself.
Age:21
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 150lbs
Physical condition: I work out for an hour at least 3 times a week, along with running at high altitude climates.
Previous medical conditions: Shingles.
Smoker: Yes.
Alcohol: Moderate.
Diet: Poor
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