Vitamin
Overdose
Vitamin Overdose
By: Dr. George Obikoya
With the increasing popularity of vitamins and
nutritional supplements, it is necessary to look at all sides of
this phenomenon, particularly from the safety angle.
Fortified foods and supplements are in these days. They are ideal
for both the busy and the health conscious. A vitamin pill or a
liquid multivitamin seems the ideal solution to compensate for a
missed dinner. For dieters, it means you can limit your calories
while still getting all the nutrients you need, right?
What’s more? These supplements are little regulated if at all. You
can pick anyone of them up at your neighborhood grocery. More and
more people today add nutrients to their diet by selecting foodstuffs
fortified with vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers add iron to
your breakfast cereals or they even add vitamin C to sweets or vitamin
A to margarine. This is something that is done regularly by the
food industry and most people would argue this is a very good thing.
These products are intended to boost your health, but they can be
anything but healthy if you grossly overdo it. Taken to excess,
you actually can overdose on vitamins and other food supplements.
The food industry needs to desist from advertising health benefits
that are not backed up by science or putting far too much of certain
items, like iron in their products.
As with most substances, it is the amount consumed that is the key.
Almost anything is toxic if consumed in excess, including salt,
alcohol and even water or oxygen! Provided that supplements are
taken in the amounts recommended on the pack by the manufacturer
or retailer, and the recommended doses are not exceeded by combining
too many different supplements, then it is highly unlikely that
supplements will cause toxicity.
Water soluble vitamins - such as the B group vitamins and vitamin
C - cannot be stored by the body to any great extent, so if you
take in more than your body needs, they are simply excreted. However,
the fat soluble vitamins A and D can accumulate in the body, but
pose no danger to your health if consumed within the safe upper
limits indicated for them. The exception is in pregnancy, when large
amounts of vitamin A may pose a risk to the developing infant.
Combining supplements will not normally interfere with the way they
work and in some cases may be beneficial. However, certain supplements
may interact with each other, for example, there is competition
within the gut for the absorption of different minerals and a large
dose of one might decrease the absorption of another or cause excessive
absorption of another. Generally speaking though, this is not a
problem. Take vitamin D and calcium for instance. No matter how
much calcium you take, it will not be anywhere as beneficial as
if you took a moderate amount of both vitamin D and calcium together.
Therefore a high quality liquid multivitamin and/or mineral product
is best for all-round supplementation because it delivers nutrients
in the right balance. Before combining supplements, people should
consult their doctor, pharmacist or the company manufacturing the
supplements for advice, or simply stick to a high quality multi
that has most of what you need and simply add the additional nutrients
you seek for your own specific needs.
As our bodies age, they become less efficient at absorbing some
of the nutrients from our diet making it important to ensure that
the right quantities of relevant vitamins and minerals are consumed.
For example, as we get older our bodies are less able to absorb
iron but Vitamin C can help increase absorption, as can multivitamins
in liquid form. On the other hand, we are also more prone to toxicity
as even water-soluble vitamins are not excreted as much because
of our less efficient kidneys. Individual sensitivities and variations
in response can occur, so if any unexpected symptoms appear whilst
taking a particular supplement, medical advice should be sought.
If you suspect that you're taking too much of a vitamin or mineral,
don't stop completely. Nutrition experts suggest cutting back to
about half of your current dosage. Your body has adjusted itself
to handle a massive dose, so if you stop altogether, it could trigger
a deficiency.
If you're thinking about increasing the dosage of some nutrients
or are just curious about your present vitamin regimen, consult
your doctor or a registered dietitian. This is especially important
if you have an illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure,
since large doses of some supplements can interfere with the function
of some medications.
Nonspecific symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash,
are common with any acute or chronic vitamin overdose. Vitamin-caused
symptoms may be secondary to those associated with additives (e.g,
mannitol), colorings, or binders; these symptoms usually are not
severe. Each vitamin also has specific symptoms associated with
its overdose. The good news is that morbidity and mortality from
pure vitamins are rare. One study of acute or chronic overdoses,
with more than 40,000 exposures, reported 1 death and 8 major adverse
outcomes. Contrast this with most of the drugs out there, which
can, overtime, kill or injure thousands out of 40,000 exposures.
Remember, vitamins and minerals are natural and
your body has evolved systems to deal with vitamin and mineral intakes.
Your body has not developed anything to deal with artificial drugs,
which is why overdosing with many different drugs can and is fatal.
As long as you do not go overboard with your vitamin and mineral
intake and are aware of the guidelines for specific supplements
(which can be obtained from the back of any bottle) you are well
on your way towards optimum health.
A good multivitamin is the foundation of health
and nutrition. Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of
the popular brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for a high
quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you take a look at
the Multivitamin
Product Comparisons.
VITAPLEN COMPLETE™ contains 165 scientifically formulated nutrients
--all in a highly absorbable liquid formula. VITAPLEN COMPLETE™ does not contain any overdoseable iron.
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