Retinyl palmitate is a version of Vitamin A from animal sources while beta carotene is found in plants—both are changed in the body to the active form of Vitamin A. While Retinyl palmitate and beta carotene are both fat-soluble, Retinyl palmitate is the type of Vitamin A that can lead to toxicity if the body has too much. Beta carotene, on the other hand, is an antioxidant that gets converted to Vitamin A by the liver only if the body needs it. Because beta carotene is only converted to Vitamin A as needed, there isn’t the same concern regarding toxicity. So, in addition to being sourced from plants instead of animals, beta carotene has the added benefit of being used only as needed, so you don’t have to be concerned about toxicity!
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