Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Beállítások

[ambiguousscourge]

I learnt a few years ago that even vitamin and mineral supplements can be lethally toxic if an overdose is taken, when I saw a program on TV. A family was moving houses that week, so Mum had packed the contents of the medicine cabinet, along with just about everything else in the house. Their little boy went digging in the box, found his vitamins, and started eating them like they were Halloween candy without telling anyone. By morning he had flu-like symptoms. Mum wasn't worried until she found spilled vitamins on his clothes, and around half his bedroom. She rushed him to hospital, and his stomach had to be pumped. He'd taken in too much iron or something. The boy was fine, but he learnt his lesson.



The thing I'm wondering about is, what about people who take several different types of multivitamins? Potentially, one person could be taking a different vitamin geared for their age, their gender, their level of physical activity, menopause or pregnancy, and a general multivitamin just to make sure they're getting everything they need. But most of those would have several components in common, resulting in the person getting several times their daily requirements for some vitamins or minerals. My question is, at what level do each of the various vitamins and minerals become toxic? How much is too much?

[bining]

Usually you have to take very high doses to get toxic effects, any excess is, in the majority of cases, excreted out. For example, it is quite easy here to get vitamin D supplements with many times the recommended dose (30mcg vs the RDA of 5mcg), I get these on prescription once in a while when my levels drop low due to winter, red hair + freckles, and staying indoors due to bad weather The majority of vitamins are water-soluble, and so any excess is removed in urine. Fat soluble vitamins are usually where you would have a risk of toxic effects as these are more easily stored.

For the majority of people, there is no need to take multivitamins as it is fairly easy to get your required amounts, even on an "unbalanced" diet. I do take a multivitamin due to my very restricted diet, although my blood tests usually come back fine (with the exception of Vit. D mentioned above), so it is more a peace of mind thing for me, and I suspect for many people. I only do this in winter, as my diet in summer is much higher in fresh fruit and veg content. The levels at which toxic doses occur are also very high compared to daily intake, if you take for example vitamin C, the RDA is 90mg, and the upper limit is 2000mg, some of the B-vitamins have lower ratios if I remember. More common side effects are things like diahorrea, especially from supplements with iron.

[ambiguousscourge]

Usually you have to take very high doses to get toxic effects, any excess is, in the majority of cases, excreted out. For example, it is quite easy here to get vitamin D supplements with many times the recommended dose (30mcg vs the RDA of 5mcg), I get these on prescription once in a while when my levels drop low due to winter, red hair + freckles, and staying indoors due to bad weather The majority of vitamins are water-soluble, and so any excess is removed in urine. Fat soluble vitamins are usually where you would have a risk of toxic effects as these are more easily stored.

For the majority of people, there is no need to take multivitamins as it is fairly easy to get your required amounts, even on an "unbalanced" diet. I do take a multivitamin due to my very restricted diet, although my blood tests usually come back fine (with the exception of Vit. D mentioned above), so it is more a peace of mind thing for me, and I suspect for many people. I only do this in winter, as my diet in summer is much higher in fresh fruit and veg content. The levels at which toxic doses occur are also very high compared to daily intake, if you take for example vitamin C, the RDA is 90mg, and the upper limit is 2000mg, some of the B-vitamins have lower ratios if I remember. More common side effects are things like diahorrea, especially from supplements with iron.

Thanks for the link, I found it very helpful. I was just thinking about all those health nuts out there who think you have to take ten supplements a day or something crazy. Personally, I just take one general, because I don't eat as many fruit or veg as I should, and an iron complex because I'm a regular blood donor, and a female.