|  | Diet Nutrition | Vitamins

Do Multi-Vitamins Cause Liver Damage?

The multivitamin business in the United States is booming. While they may do wonders to even out an unbalanced diet, a multivitamin is like any other supplement---it must be taken with care.

  1. Balanced Diet

    • Doctors and nutritionists agree, it is best to get your vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet. On top of the benefits of the vitamins themselves, fruits, vegetables, and other foods contain other nutritious elements. This may include fiber, protein, and other antioxidants that are difficult to synthesize into a pill.

    Overdosing?

    • Many vitamins are water soluble. This means that if you take an abundance of them, your body will expel them to no ill effects. That multivitamin with 1,000 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement isn't helping you any more than a capsule with 100 percent.

    Other Elements

    • Like anything in an unnatural form, a multivitamin is manufactured. The manufacturing process can expose a multivitamin to different elements. A pill may have inconsistent levels of vitamins and minerals---or even elements not listed on the label.

    Who Should Be Wary

    • A pregnant women should always be wary about what she ingests, as her unborn child is exposed to anything the mother takes in. Young children should also be supervised when taking multivitamins. They may want to eat several multivitamins that have been flavored like candy.

    When in doubt

    • Consult a physician before taking any multivitamin. Like any supplement, multivitamins with different additives may have harmful interactions with other medications. Also, your doctor may advise against taking a multivitamin, as your diet may be more balanced than you think.

Vitamins - Related Articles