Vitamin Overdose

Vitamin overdose, also commonly known as hypervitaminosis, can occur if you are not careful with what you eat. Vitamins are grouped into two categories - water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins.

Both types of vitamins can be easily ingested by the body and any excess is passed out. Cases of vitamin overdose are extremely rare and not well documented. For instance, vitamin c is something that we are all familiar with. Some people even believe that it is impossible to get harmful effects from excessive consumption of vitamin c. This is because vitamin c is water soluble and people believe that excess is passed out of the system before it can do any damage to the body. Unfortunately, this is not true. Anything in excess, including water, can be harmful to the body.

We get our vitamins from a variety of sources. Some we get from the sun (vitamin D), but mostly, we get our vitamins from food sources. Those who are deficient may wish to make up for what they lack by consuming supplements. It is very difficult to get to a level of toxicity just by consuming natural foods. Usually, toxicity occurs due to consumption of supplements for a prolonged period of time.

People consume supplements for different reasons. Some believe that the supplements can help boost metabolism and improve overall health. This is largely true. But they then try to replace regular food with supplements. Some even ignore the recommended dosages and consume supplements in amounts greater than what is needed. Usually, what happens is that the excess gets passed out very quickly by the body. However, when the system can't eradicate the excess fast enough, problems start to arise.

Common symptoms of overdose include diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, and feeling nauseous. If you experience such symptoms, stop your supplements intake immediately and consult a doctor. Other side effects include thinning of blood or having excessive calcium in the blood stream. The side effects you experience depend on the type of vitamins you are taking.

So how do you prevent vitamin overdose? First, determine if vitamins are really what you need to improve your health. For instance, many people experience depression at some point of their lives. And some people actually believe that vitamins can help bring them out of depression. The right thing to do is to get a proper diagnosis from the doctor and figure out what is causing the depression. Tests can be conducted to determine if the body is deficient in certain vitamins. If so, the doctor will be able to prescribe the right supplements with the appropriate dosage.

Consuming supplements on your own is not dangerous. In fact, it is highly recommended that you consume one multivitamin a day. It is when supplements are taken in excess that there is a need for concern. Finally, supplements can never replace natural foods. So don't skip meals just because you are consuming supplements. Take proper meals first. If you think your body needs more nourishment, then take your supplements.