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Vitamin Overdose: When Vitamins Are Bad For Your Health

True to the motto “a lot helps a lot”, many people take high-dose vitamin supplements. However, there are fixed maximum amounts. A vitamin overdose can sometimes be dangerous. Our table reveals from which quantities it becomes questionable.

In the case of unbalanced or inadequate nutrition, such as dieting, many resorts to dietary supplements. This can quickly lead to a vitamin overdose. What sounds harmless at first can have serious health consequences.

What is a vitamin overdose?

Vitamins are healthy. However, if overdosed, they can be harmful and cause unwanted side effects. Doctors call this “hypervitaminosis”. It is almost impossible to take in too large amounts of vitamins through daily food. On the other hand, overdosing on dietary supplements and vitamin preparations is common.

Too many vitamins: These side effects occur

All vitamins produce side effects when overdosed. However, the severity of the health consequences varies. You should be particularly careful with two vitamins.

Chronic overdose of vitamin A causes osteoporosis

Vitamin A promotes our eyesight and ensures beautiful skin and healthy teeth. Animal foods are good sources of vitamin A. Unlike other varieties, vitamin A is not simply flushed out with urine. It accumulates in the liver. Scientists found that consuming more than 3000 µg per day can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, blurred vision, and hair loss, among other things.

Furthermore, a permanent overdose of vitamin A can lead to bone loss (osteoporosis) and temporary or permanent liver damage. According to BBC reports, smokers with increased vitamin A consumption even increase the risk of developing lung cancer. If the vitamin excess persists for several years, the poisoning can be fatal.

Too many B vitamins cause paralysis and nerve damage

All B vitamins regulate our metabolism. Vitamin B6 strengthens nerves and the immune system, vitamin B12 is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids and blood formation. Chicken, salmon, milk, and avocado are particularly rich in vitamin B.

A daily intake of more than 500 µg is considered an overdose. Nerve damage can occur as a result of the excess vitamin, which manifests itself in the form of paralysis, loss of reflexes, disturbances in the sense of temperature, or loss of feeling in the hands and feet. Inflammatory reactions of the skin (acne) can also become noticeable. But: an overdose of vitamin B is practically impossible since the body simply excretes unnecessary amounts.

Vitamin C overdose can cause indigestion

Vitamin C is one of the most popular vitamins. A deficiency can cause dental disease, acne, and fatigue. Many people, therefore, take vitamin C supplements as a preventive measure. Doctors also recommend the supplement to ward off colds. Citrus fruits, berries, and vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts in particular have a high vitamin C content.

An upper limit of 2000 mg per day is recommended to prevent diarrhea and indigestion from occurring. People who consume this amount in a day may experience symptoms such as vomiting, headaches, and insomnia.

Vitamin D overdose can result in a coma

Vitamin D strengthens our bones and has an impact on muscle strength. An overdose of vitamin D through too much sunlight or vitamin D-rich foods (eggs, herring, cheese) is impossible. On the one hand, the body automatically shuts down vitamin D production after being in the sun for a long time, on the other hand, foods contain only such small amounts of vitamin D that excess is not possible.

A high dose of vitamin D preparations over a long period is extremely dangerous for the body: vitamin poisoning can cause an increased concentration of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). As a result, calcium accumulates in the blood vessels and kidneys. Elevated levels of potassium can cause kidney function to drop rapidly and cause conditions such as kidney stones and kidney failure. Those affected falls into a so-called hypercalcemic coma, which can be fatal.

Vitamin E overdose could increase mortality risk

Vitamin E supports the body’s defenses and can help reduce the risk of cancer by blocking free radicals. Vitamin E is found in foods such as vegetable oils or nuts. An overdose of vitamin E via food is not possible. In the case of vitamin E preparations, daily doses of up to 300 µg are considered harmless to health.

Experts speak of an overdose from a long-term intake of more than 800 µg of vitamin E per day. This can result in symptoms such as indigestion, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and an increased tendency to bleed. US researchers want to have found out in a study that taking vitamin E in many cases shortens a person’s life instead of lengthening it.

According to Professor Edgar Miller, lead author of the published meta-study, anyone who takes a daily vitamin E supplement at the usual concentration increases their risk of death by around ten percent. However, this thesis is not certain.

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Written by Lindy Valdez

I specialize in food and product photography, recipe development, testing, and editing. My passion is health and nutrition and I am well-versed in all types of diets, which, combined with my food styling and photography expertise, helps me to create unique recipes and photos. I draw inspiration from my extensive knowledge of world cuisines and try to tell a story with every image. I am a best-selling cookbook author and I have also edited, styled and photographed cookbooks for other publishers and authors.

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