In my previous article I discussed the benefits of getting enough vitamins. This article highlighted the importance of vitamins for good overall health. They play a role in almost everything you can imagine from growth, to production of new cells, to wound healing, to protecting your body. However, you can get too much of a good thing. Whilst sticking to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for each vitamin can provide you with countless benefits consuming high doses of certain vitamins can have the opposite effect causing pain, discomfort and even damage to your body’s cells. In this article I will be discussing the impact overdosing on vitamins can have on your body and outlining why it should be avoided.
1) PAIN AND DISCOMFORT:- Overdosing on vitamins often leads to a number of undesirable symptoms. Consuming too much vitamin A is linked with diarrhea and dry skin. Overdosing on vitamin D can also be unpleasant leading to both diarrhea and nausea. Getting too much vitamin B1 is thought to cause nausea, sweating and lead to difficulty breathing. A vitamin B2 overdose leads to both itching and numbness. Consuming vitamin B3 in excess can cause the blood vessels to expand leading to a type of skin flush called niacin flush. Getting large amounts of vitamin B5 is linked with diarrhea. Overdosing on vitamin B9 can lead to stomach pain, skin problems and difficulty sleeping. A vitamin C overdose can cause cramps, diarrhea, headaches and even vomiting.
2) CELL AND ORGAN DAMAGE:- A number of vitamins cause cell and organ damage if they are consumed in excess. Consuming large amounts of vitamin D causes blood calcium levels to increase. This can then lead to calcium being deposited in various organs which causes serious damage. Getting too much vitamin K can damage your red blood cells and your liver. Overdosing on vitamin B3 over a prolonged period can also cause liver damage. A vitamin B6 overdose can lead to permanent nerve damage.
3) WEAK BONES:- Consuming too much vitamin A can lead to both osteoporosis and weak bones. Osteoporosis is a condition where the density of your bones is reduced. This makes your bones weak and more likely to fracture and this effect often gets worse as you age.
As you can see consuming excessive high levels of vitamins often has an adverse effect on your body. The symptoms of a vitamin overdose can range from the relatively mind (headaches, diarrhea etc) to the more serious (blood cell damage, liver damage, nerve damage etc) but are never pleasant. It is very difficult to overdose on vitamins from food alone. Overdosing is generally the result of excessive consumption of vitamin supplements which is one of the main reasons why I do not think multi vitamins are necessary. If you eat a well balanced, healthy diet you should easily get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for all the various vitamins without needing to rely on supplements. If you are a heavy user of vitamin supplements and multi vitamins I hope this article has brought to your attention the possible impact of overdosing and hopefully made you reconsider your consumption.
Now I’d like to hear from you guys. Do you ever worry about the adverse effects of overdosing on vitamins? Have you ever experienced any of the symptoms discussed in this article? Do you agree that a healthy diet negates the need for most vitamin supplements?
About Tom
Yes. There is such a thing as “Too much of a good thing”.
Great post.
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Thanks for your comments Strong One. When it comes to fitness and diet in particular balance is the key.
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I am glad that you put this information out there as so many of us (myself included) tend to think that more is better and that is just not true here.
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Healthy well balanced diet does not essentially require added supplements. “Supplement” the word itself says it all…………………….
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Hey Heidi – I know what you are saying. I never used to think about the vitamins pills I took. I would just wake up and take one each morning. However, after doing this research it got me thinking a little more about these vitamin pills and whether I need them. Looking at my current diet I think the answer for me is no and as a result I no longer take a daily multi vitamin.
Govindan – Exactly. Supplements are not a requirement. They should be used to cover up dietary deficiencies where necessary. If you eat a well balanced diet that is rich in whole natural foods you should be getting adequate amounts of most vitamins.
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I did some research about to much vitamins
number one cause of side affects is people are taking snythatic vitamins
Synthetic vitamins do not perform the same functions in your body as vitamins found naturally in whole food
Many synthetic vitamins deplete your body of other nutrients and tax your kidneys before being excreted through your urine
Vitamins that are found naturally in whole foods come with all of their necessary components. The majority of vitamins that are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops are synthetic vitamins, which are only isolated portions of the vitamins that occur naturally in food.
If you choose to use nutritional supplements, it is in your best interest to use only those products that list actual foods as their ingredients rather than synthetic and isolated vitamins. whole food supplements that my family uses on a regular basis are from http://www.shaklee.net/thehealthyway
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Tom Reply:
February 7th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Thanks for the recommendations Mary. I think what you say is right. If you are going to take supplements then supplements that contain real foods are your best bet. However, I still think that when it comes to vitamins you should be able to get most from your diet alone.
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I take this once a day im concernced i may be OD i train alot sometimes twice a day for my sport.. could some one help.
Amt per Serving
% Daily Value
Serving Size: 1 packet
Servings Per Container: 30
Vitamin A
10,000 iu
200%
Vitamin C
2g
3334%
Vitamin D
400iu
100%
Vitamin E
1000iu
3333%
Thiamin
50mg
3333%
Riboflavin
50mg
2941%
Niacin
50mg
250%
Vitamin B-6
55mg
2750%
Folate
400mcg
100%
Vitamin B-12
150mcg
2500%
Biotin
150mcg
50%
Pantothenic Acid
50mg
500%
Calcium
1.11g
111%
Iron
8mg
44%
Phosphorus
285mg
29%
Iodine
220mcg
147%
Magnesium
500mg
125%
Zinc
50mg
333%
Selenium
33mcg
47%
Manganese
10mg
500%
Chromium
200mcg
167%
Potassium
99mg
3%
Pancreatin
1300mg
†
L-Taurine
800mg
†
L-Ornithine alpha ketogluteric acid
650mg
†
Choline Bitartrate
200mg
†
Inositol
100mg
†
Betaine Hydrochloride
50mg
†
Para aminobenzoic acid
30mg
†
Pepsin
25mg
†
Hesperidin Complex
5mg
†
Rose Hips
5mg
†
Vanadium
1.5mg
†
† Daily Value not established
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Tom Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Hmm. Some of those dosages do seem very high to me but any other opinions would be appreciated…
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Are all these vitamins FDA regulated that you speak of? Which vitamins are not regulated that should be because they cause more harm to the body than they do help?
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Tom Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Hey Arlene – I’m not an expert on the topic but my understanding is that all vitamins are regulated under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act. Under this act the supplement manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their product is safe before it reaches the market and that all claims made on the label are truthful and if necessary backed up with scientific research. If any unsafe or misleading products are released the FDA will take action against the supplement manufacturers.
To answer your second question none of the vitamins cause more harm to the body than they help. All vitamins occur naturally in foods and are necessary for good health provided you stick within safe consumption limits. The problems develop when you take extremely high doses of vitamins (usually in the form of a supplement).
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Please email me an attachment of the actual medical documents you used to base these numbers that prove vitamins can cause harmful affects when taking more then the “recommended amount”.
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Tom Reply:
May 22nd, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Hi Chris – These overdose symptoms are not based on actual medical documents. I based them on various internet articles which discussed the symptoms of vitamin overdose.
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Pam Reply:
December 16th, 2011 at 7:52 am
I have witnessed vitamin overdose first hand. Very, Very Scary!!!!!
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Tom Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 12:59 am
Sorry to hear that Pam. Hope you didn’t suffer in the long term because of it.
There is plenty of evidence out there that Vitamintosis (Vitamin Overdose) is real. Always use caution, especially with vitamin a and d.
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Tom Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 1:02 am
Thanks for the comment Malory.
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Vitamin overdose otherwise known as vitamintosis is occurring in hospital emergency rooms at an alarming rate. Whether the vitamins are synthetic or not. Many folks in the “wellness” industry want you to believe that you cannot fall victim to vitamintosis if you stay away from synthetic vitamins. This is absolutely not the case. Symptoms of vitamintosis once we see patients in the emergency room are similar to that of a stroke. The information presented in this forum should be passed along to anyone who uses vitamins on a daily basis. The best way to receive vitamins is through a healthy diet..
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Tom Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 1:56 am
Wow Pam. I never realised it was that serious. Yet another reason to ditch the vitamin supplements and stick with the fruit and veg.
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