Are Too Many Vitamins Bad for Your Health?

While vitamins are important to keep your body functioning properly, it is important that you take vitamins in moderation. Just as with prescription and over-the-counter medications, taking too much of a vitamin supplement or multivitamin can have serious health ramifications. Many people simply don't realize that vitamins can be just as dangerous as other drugs, and they may be putting themselves at risk with overdoses of certain vitamin types.

Risks

• Some vitamins, such as vitamin C, are water soluble. Any excess intake is purged from the body daily through your urine. Others, though, such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K, are fat soluble and are stored in the fatty tissues of the body. This storage can lead to a toxic buildup over time in critical organs such as the brain, liver, and heart.

Effects

• One of the purposes of the liver is to filter the bloodstream, removing dead cells and potentially harmful materials. Because of this, vitamins that are stored in fatty tissue can build up in the liver faster than in other organs of the body. Excess vitamin D that builds up in the liver can lead to cirrhosis-like liver damage, while excess vitamin A that builds up in the liver can be toxic and may cause overall liver failure.

Drug Interactions

• Before you begin any vitamin supplement regimen, it is important to consult a doctor or physician to find out whether the vitamins that you wish to take will result in drug interactions with other medications that you may be taking. These interactions can interfere with the absorption and proper use of the vitamins that you are taking, and a bad interaction can result in severe side effects that can cause health problems or even death.

Dietary Supplement Dosages

• The majority of vitamins which are taken as pill or liquid supplements are not as effective as the same vitamins are when they are obtained from natural food sources. To make up for this, many vitamin manufacturers produce supplements in larger portions than what your body needs throughout the day. This can not cost you money, since you are paying for vitamins that will just be excreted by your body without being used, and it can increase the likelihood of accidental overdose. Iron and other minerals, which are often taken with vitamins, can cause overdoses as well.

Vitamin Use in Moderation

• Unless drug interactions exist, most vitamins are fine to take on a daily basis so long as moderation and restraint are used. Check the bottle and find out the exact dosage size of each supplemental vitamin that you take. Keep in mind that it's better to take smaller dosages several times a day instead of a large dose once per day, as it not only helps you to avoid accidental overdose but it also allows more of the vitamin to be absorbed and used by your body.