Too Many Vitamins is A Bad Thing?

Actually, it is.

We know we eat too much. The statistics for obesity prove that alone.

Is there such a thing as consuming too many vitamins?

There are so many products out there, so many supplements. You can by a supplement form of just about any kind of vitamin or mineral.

Not to mention energy drinks, protein powders, and even certain cereals that are amped up with an almost ridiculous amount of supplement.

These days, it's not difficult to consume 600% of your daily recommended value of B vitamins or 2,000% of the recommended amount of vitamin C -- all before lunchtime.
Many energy bars, juices and other products are crammed with sky-high levels of vitamins. Gulp down an Odwalla Blueberry B Monster smoothie and get 360% of the daily value of four types of B vitamins. Swallow a shot of Emergen-C and you could get more than 1,600% of the daily value of vitamin C.

That's not necessarily good. At some point, the upsides of added vitamins disappear -- and may even about-face into downsides.

Full article


I know Im guilty of this. I always figured the more the better. But it turns out that many of these vitamins are water soluble. Meaning, that you may take 400% of the daily value, but what your body does not use will just get flushed out.

Thats why you have to pee after drinking an energy drink. The over abundance of b-vitamins is getting washed out.

Not to mention that an extreme amount of vitamin-a can cause all kinds of health problems.

I just thought this was interesting, and figured I would share.

I would like to hear your opinions.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by InertiaZero]

I know first hand that too many vitamins can be a bad thing. If I take 3 each of the usual '1 a day' tablets and get 300% daily value of vitamins and minierals, I find that effects my mood in a negative way and I get side cramps all day long.

Its a catch 22. Too little its not good, too much , its not good.

reply to post by InertiaZero


Your body can only metabolize so much of certain compounds. Some vitamins are cleared relatively easily and quickly, so no harm no foul for most doses, even up to ten or twenty times the suggested daily allowance. Some, though, like A, can become toxic fairly quickly.

Yeah, a *lot* of vitamins, as in.. Tons, is bad. You don't need a kilogram's worth of vitamins every day.

However, you should realize that this recent "Vitamin Awareness" agenda is a huge Codex Alimentarius plot. At least, they're seriously taking advantage of it. The food corps. and multi-national organizations involved with Codex Alimentarius want to outlaw most vitamins.

Lock in prices, stranglehold the food markets across the globe. Monsanto, being the front runner of agricultural control.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by SyphonX]

Originally posted by SyphonX
Yeah, a *lot* of vitamins, as in.. Tons, is bad. You don't need a kilogram's worth of vitamins every day.

However, you should realize that this recent "Vitamin Awareness" agenda is a huge Codex Alimentarius plot. At least, they're seriously taking advantage of it. The food corps. and multi-national organizations involved with Codex Alimentarius want to outlaw most vitamins.

Lock in prices, stranglehold the food markets across the globe. Monsanto, being the front runner of agricultural control.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by SyphonX]

Sadly, it doesn't take "a ton" for certain vitamins and nutrients to become toxic. As this topic is about Vitamin A, I'll use that as an example. If you took double the recommended allowance for a few weeks, you would begin experiencing symptoms of acute toxiticity. That isn't "a ton", that's just popping an extra pill per day or every other day, even. Seems pretty easy to do, to me.

Its simple really...just know what the safe upper limit is! Know the difference between water soluble and fat soluble! Worring about you're vitamin intake is valid only if you're against a bit of reading.

I take 12,000% rda of niacin and 20,000% rda of ascorbic acid. They're both water soluble. What the body doesn't need it gets rid of. I know my body has adjusted to this dose. My pee isn't colored, and is clear. It uses both of these in these large amounts.

The only vitamins one needs to worry about are fat soluble. Even then you can usually take a few times rda without any problems. The rda is a joke. It's what's needed for the average unhealthy individual to just get by. The reason that taking a few once a day causes so much problems is because of the minerals, mainly. The headroom between rda and a lethal dose is lowest in minerals, compared to fat or water soluble vitamins.

Here's an interesting tidbit by Dr. Pauling about how the body uses "megadoses" of ascorbic acid when given the time to adjust.

reply to post by SyphonX


I admire your speculation, and I am well aware of what Codex Alimentarius is all about. I thought that the original article material was going to be about CA, but I got another story all the same.

About th CA, is it already happened. Years ago. Almost everything in your super-market..even the "organic" ones, is greatly deprived one way or another of nutrients.

So, too late on that one.

I was mainly talking about supplements. Overdose of Vitamin A can end in Renal failure. It does not take a serious overdose to reach LD50. Nor does it take alot of time.
Flintstone Vitamins contain enough vitamin-A in them to OD.

reply to post by InertiaZero


That's not true. Flinstones vitamins contain 60% rda of vitamin-a and 1/3 of it is in the form of beta carotene. You can't od on beta carotene. The body converts what it needs to vitamin a, so we're really only talking about 2,000iu, 40% rda.

Originally posted by VneZonyDostupa
Sadly, it doesn't take "a ton" for certain vitamins and nutrients to become toxic. As this topic is about Vitamin A, I'll use that as an example. If you took double the recommended allowance for a few weeks, you would begin experiencing symptoms of acute toxiticity. That isn't "a ton", that's just popping an extra pill per day or every other day, even. Seems pretty easy to do, to me.

Jesus, this isn't true either! I was prescribed 7,500iu vitamin-a morning and 7,500iu beta carotene evening for over a year without any problems.

If you take too much vit-a you will turn orange before having renal failure. If you can't figure it out by then, something is really not right with your brain! Just stop taking it, and the symptoms go away.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by unityemissions]

reply to post by InertiaZero


Yes, your watery diaherria is probably from too much vitamin C!

Redbull has around 200% of RDA of everything, no wonder it's good stuff!

[edit on 23-1-2010 by john124]

reply to post by unityemissions


Alright, Ill give you the flinstones thing. I was just trying to make a point.

To correct my mistake: Beta carotene is prcessed in the body and made into Vitamin A. Using BC as a source, you cant overdose.

Were you recovering from an illness when you were prescibed these dosages? Cancer?
If so, or if not. What works for your body may not work for everyone.


The UL of vitamin A for adults is 3,000 mcg (10,000 IU). Over that, you not only risk liver failure, but loss in bone density over time.


The UL of vitamin D is 50 mcg (2,000 IU) for adults. Over long periods can affect many major organs

Jesus, this isn't true either! I was prescribed 7,500iu vitamin-a morning and 7,500iu beta carotene evening for over a year without any problems.

If you take too much vit-a you will turn orange before having renal failure. If you can't figure it out by then, something is really not right with your brain! Just stop taking it, and the symptoms go away.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by unityemissions]

If you are experiencing an issue due to, or causing, vitamin A deficiency, then of course your dosage would be different. You don't think maybe that is the reason you took such a high dose for so long without any noticeable ill effects? Certain liver conditions (lack of proper bile production, or improper bile acid to cholesterol ratios) can cause malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins, as can gallbladder issues (improper ejection of bile) or small intestinal issues (improper absorption in the ileum, the site of fat-soluble vitamin absorption). If you had ANY of these issues, or an issue that would cause any of these issues, then naturally, you would be advised to take more than the RDA of vitamin A in the hopes that you will absorb a reasonable amount,.

reply to post by VneZonyDostupa


It's not a high dose at all! I wasn't taking it because of a deficiency or disease. I was taking it because of another condition which caused me to need other vitamins. Vitamin a was added to my compounded nutrients to balance the other ones.

Here's a link from wiki on acute vitamin a toxicity, to give you an idea on what a too high dose is...

Acute toxicity generally occurs at doses of 25,000 IU/kg of body weight, with chronic toxicity occurring at 4,000 IU/kg of body weight daily for 6–15 months.[24] However, liver toxicities can occur at levels as low as 15,000 IU per day to 1.4 million IU per day, with an average daily toxic dose of 120,000 IU per day. In people with renal failure 4000 IU can cause substantial damage. Additionally, excessive alcohol intake can increase toxicity. Children can reach toxic levels at 1,500 IU/kg of body weight.

Vitamin A toxicity

This means that only if you already have renal failure, or some sort of liver disfunction could a dose even remotely close to what I was consuming be considered harmful.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by unityemissions]

The point of the matter is misleading. For one thing, too much of anything is a bad thing. That should be a simple fact that everyone can acknowledge.

What should be the focus here is the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamins. What needs to be realized is that the difference between the RDA and "too much" is the difference between night and day.

If you think RDA's are even remotely accurate for any vitamin or nutrient then you have a lot to learn. RDA's are pathetically low and boarder on the useless line.

Nevermind the fact that the majority of everyday "convenience foods" contain chemical additives that literally prevent the proper absorption of the sparse nutrients they contain. Which basically means, if you follow FDA recommended guidelines and add up the nutrient percentages on the packages of food you consume and meet your RDA's - then it serves to mean that you are to become massively deficient. That's when the real money comes in. Chronic deficiencies means chronic diseases and that requires prescription medication to "manage" your symptoms.

This idea of acute toxicity is ridiculous to the same effect as warning about water being toxic at too high of an amount. Yes, it's true but not before you ingest an inhuman amount.

And for the record, over the past 25 years there has only been 10 deaths alleged to vitamin use. And those 10 are alleged, unproven cases. This is compared to dozens of millions of deaths caused by prescription medications that where used as prescribed and as directed, over the same time period.

reply to post by unityemissions


I was working under the assumption that you WERE taking it for some sort of liver-related issue (as that's the only time I've seen it given in larger doses, specifically). That is why I said anyone else taking that dose could see harmful effects. Granted, those effects would be seen after months of taking such dosage, and if you're relatively healthy may never manifest. Regardless, suggesting that the dosage you are taking is either safe or normal is a bit irresponsible.

reply to post by InertiaZero


I used a well respected alternative approach called Orthomolecular Therapy. They diagnosed me with a blood disorder called Pyroluria. It's a form of porphyria. Heme isn't synthesized correctly, and a harmful molecule called a kryptopyrole is produced. This molecule has an affinity for pyridoxine (b6), then complexes usually with either zinc or manganese before forming a shiff base and being excreted via urine. So I had to take high doses of b6, and zinc + manganese for some time. I've since rid myself of this affliction. My understanding is that this is probably due to a microbe. Maybe a mycoplasma, maybe fungi, maybe nanobacteria...I really haven't a clue, nor does anyone else. All I know is very high doses of niacin becomes a profound antifungal, and I think it also destroys certain myco.

I entirely agree that everyone is biochemically independent. What works for myself could harm another and vice versa.

reply to post by VneZonyDostupa


No, it's not. Did you not read the link? It's truly not too much vitamin-a. Please read the link.

Here's the most relevant part: --chronic toxicity occurring at 4,000 IU/kg of body weight daily for 6–15 months--

I was taking 7,500IU. I weigh ~145...at least 60kg. That's 240,000IU for at least 6 months for toxicity. Not even close.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by unityemissions]

reply to post by StrangeBrew


Correct, StrangeBrew..less than a dozen. Most of them were from iron, a MINERAL. Those are the ones people should really do their homework on when taking.

.


Nevermind the fact that the majority of everyday "convenience foods" contain chemical additives that literally prevent the proper absorption of the sparse nutrients they contain.

Source? The only additive with this effect I know of is olestra, and that is purely a result of increased water secretion, not necessarily interfering with the mechanisms of vitamin absorption. Also, all products containing olestra are required to be labeled as such (and are few and far between as it is).

That's when the real money comes in. Chronic deficiencies means chronic diseases and that requires prescription medication to "manage" your symptoms.

Not really. Vitamin deficiencies are only treated with prescription medications when there is resulting organ failure. Most often, we give people a multivitamin, advise them to continue taking them, and thank them for the ten or twenty dollar co-pay. That's it.

This idea of acute toxicity is ridiculous to the same effect as warning about water being toxic at too high of an amount. Yes, it's true but not before you ingest an inhuman amount.

It would be ridiculous if people didn't become acutely toxic from fat-soluble vitamins every year. Maybe you should go have a talk with these people you claim are already vitamin deficient. when they're finished vomiting on your shoes from the effects of the toxicity, I'm sure they'll be glad to listen to what you have to say.

And for the record, over the past 25 years there has only been 10 deaths alleged to vitamin use. And those 10 are alleged, unproven cases. This is compared to dozens of millions of deaths caused by prescription medications that where used as prescribed and as directed, over the same time period.

Deaths do not equal cases. Technically, there were very few deaths from gun shot wounds in my city last year. Of course, there were over ten thousand cases, some resulting in coma or permanent paralysis, but they weren't deaths so they don't count in your statistics, right?

Also, I would love to see your data on the "dozens of millions" of deaths caused by prescription medications. I've yet to find any such data.

[edit on 1/23/2010 by VneZonyDostupa]