“More than 50,000 cases of vitamin toxicity were reported to U.S. poison centers in 2021.” This alarming report highlights a disturbing trend that is increasingly a health issue: that a multiple vitamin with added supplements is a healthy choice. Indeed, with health and wellness advice proliferating on social media these days, advisedly mixing pills, powders, and herbs has become a dangerous health habit for many seriously health-concerned people.
Supplements may prove to be an invaluable aid in managing deficiencies, but the difference between supplements and food is that they provide highly concentrated dosages that the body’s regulatory systems cannot handle. Specialists state that the effect of an excessive dosage of supplements goes from a slight alteration in laboratory values to the potentially life‑threatening destruction of vital organs.
Below are nine expert-approved findings related to what happens once taking supplements turns from beneficial to detrimental.
1. Accretions of the Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K have higher potential for accumulation because they are stored in the liver and fatty tissues. The water-soluble vitamins have the potential to be excreted in the urine. Overuse of fat-soluble vitamins could lead to severe toxicity. For instance, high doses of vitamin A could cause liver damage, skeletal weakness, and congenital defects. Overuse of vitamin D could lead to hypercalcemia, kidney failure, or abnormal heart rate. Overuse of vitamin E has been associated with a tendency to bleed and even hemorrhagic strokes. These experts recommend taking fat-soluble vitamins only as needed and within safe upper levels.
2. Water-Soluble vitamins Are NOT Harmless
Even though water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin B complexes have lower probabilities of accumulating in the body, megadosage can be toxic. Excessive intake of vitamin C may cause diarrhea, cramps in the muscles, and if one has a condition of excess iron in the body, it may cause tissue damage. Excess niacin or vitamin B3 may be toxic to the liver. Too much intake of vitamin B6 may cause permanent damage to the central nervous system. Taking high doses of folates may conceal a vitamin B12 deficiency.
3. Cardiac Strain and Palpitations
Some dietary supplements include stimulants such as caffeine in their ingredients. The potential risks of taking stimulant supplements include increased blood pressure and palpitations or pain in the chest region. These supplements might be harmful to patients who suffer from unspecified conditions of the heart or patients undergoing medication involving calcium channel blockers. The supplement might react with medications due to the potential use of herbal stimulators.
4. Liver Stress and Elevated Enzymes
The liver metabolizes most supplements and could result in an elevation of liver enzymes if taken in high amounts. Products that have high doses of turmeric, green tea extracts, and multi-blended supplements account for 20% of liver injury cases due to drug reactions in the U.S. When symptoms like jaundice, browned urine, and anemia arise without reason, it should be addressed immediately to keep an acute failure of the liver from occurring.
5. Gastrointestinal Problems
Digestive problems can be one of the warning signs of overloading on supplements. Overconsumption of vitamin C can result in nausea and diarrhea, whereas fiber supplements can cause bloating or gas. Taking too much iron can cause constipation or pain in the stomach. It has also been suggested that if there are any symptoms of digestive problems, it is necessary to reassess the amount being taken.
6. Drug-Supplement Interactions
Certain vitamins and minerals work in conjunction or interact with medications in a way that influences effectiveness. Calcium and iron should be taken at separate times, since both interact with thyroid hormone replacement medications. Vitamin K may interact with a common type of “blood thinner” medication, such as warfarin. St. John’s Wort is a supplement that reduces the effectiveness of depression and cancer medications and other “selective serotonin-taking inhibitors.” Taking multiple preparations of the same vitamin, such as multiple B-vitamin complexes, can increase the potential toxicity of one’s intake.
7. Neurological Effects
Certain vitamins can cause the overstimulation of the nervous system. Too much vitamin B6 can cause numbness in the limbs, headaches, and insomnia. Too much iron can cause dizziness, a sensation that there is a metallic taste in the mouth, and, in extreme cases, seizures. These can present themselves subtly but can signal extreme stress on the nervous system.
8. Herbal Risks Associated with Cancer Treatment
Dietary supplements from herbs are commonly used by patients suffering from cancer, despite the potential to affect cancer treatments. Clinical interactions between treatments and herbs like red yeast rice, turmeric, and cannabis were reported in a clinical trial on older patients. The supplements could interfere with the immune system, thus decreasing the effectiveness of the treatments.
9. Misleading “Natural” Supplements
“Many people assume natural means safe, but natural does not necessarily mean safe,” says Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D. “Plant materials may be highly active and dangerous,” she continues. “Cocaine, poisonous mushrooms, to name a few, occur in nature too.” Because supplements fall under the category of food, they do not have to undergo any review by the FDA before they can be sold. As a result, products with high doses of a substance may be sold on the market even before they undergo any evaluation.
These supplements may very well become valuable allies to people’s health; however, due to their high dose and intricate mechanisms involved with their processing by the body, they should be treated with the same respect and wariness with which people normally regard prescription medications. In the case of health-conscious and trend-cycling adults looking out for their wellbeing, the best way to keep their supplements from doing them more harm than good would be to adjust their regimen to meet their biological needs and to consult their chosen healthcare provider about the doses of these supplements.
