Vitamin Overdose

With certain ones, it’s possible to overdo it and harm your health

Vitamins are good for you, so the more the better, right? Not necessarily.

“There are so many vitamins available today, it’s easy to go overboard,” says internist Joseph Candio, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “With certain vitamins, taking too much can actually raise your risk for disease.” Here’s what you should know:

Foods are your best source of nutrients. “If your daily diet includes each of the six main food groups—grains, fruits, vege-tables, proteins, dairy products and fats—it will provide all the vitamins you need,” says registered dietitian Brenda Kull of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

But a multivitamin can be helpful. A well-balanced daily diet may be the ideal, but many of us don’t manage to get it. For this reason, Kull says, “a daily multivitamin is a good idea for the majority of adults.” It’s also smart to be aware of the government’s recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of vitamins and minerals. (In calculating your intake, add up the vitamins in supplements and the vitamins in the food you eat.)

When it comes to individual vitamins, ask your doctor. Vitamin needs vary depending on your age, circumstances and health, and it’s possible you may need supplements. “Remember that vitamins are a type of medication,” Candio says. “Discuss with your doctor which ones—and which doses—are right for you.”

Know which vitamins are risky. “Massive amounts of certain vitamins can lead to ‘vitamin toxicity,’ ” Candio says. “That means your body can no longer properly absorb nutrients.” Fat-soluble vitamins such as A and D, which are stored in your liver and fatty tissues, aren’t excreted as easily as water-soluble vitamins like B and C, and therefore are more likely to be toxic.

Want to Know More about recommended vitamin and mineral doses? Call 610-402-CARE.

Be Careful with These The vitamins below are important to your health, but overdosing can lead to the problems described.
	Recommended daily	Upper limit daily	Potential problems
Vitamin A	900 mcg	3,000 mcg	Nausea, blurred vision, muscle weakness, osteoporosis risk
Vitamin B6	1.3 mg	100 mg	Nerve degeneration, depression, fatigue, skin lesions
Vitamin C	60 mg	2,000 mg	Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, kidney stones
Vitamin D	5 mcg	50 mcg	Kidney stones, hardening of arteries
Vitamin K	65 mcg women /80 mcg men	500 mcg	Upset stomach, liver impairment
mg = milligrams mcg = micrograms

This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM

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