Vitamins help the body receive the nutrition necessary to maintain and support all of its organs. Although taking vitamins is helpful, taking too many of some types of vitamins can be damaging to the body. It is important to know which vitamins should be taken in moderation, and at which levels.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, when taken in the right amounts, can aid the body in producing healthy cells, reducing cancer risk, and building strong bones. Many people take a multivitamin that contains vitamin A in doses which are too high. When vitamin A levels are too high, side effects could include fragile bones and birth defects in unborn babies. Make sure to read the labels carefully on multivitamins to make sure that the vitamin A level is not over 1,000 micrograms, which is the maximum safe daily level for human consumption. If taking a multivitamin is not possible, vitamin A can also be found in certain food sources, like sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes and egg yolks.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is vital in the body for heart and skin health, but is paradoxically harmful to the heart if taken in large amounts. Vitamin E daily levels should not exceed 400 International Units (IUs) per day, or side effects like nausea, fatigue or headache could occur. Vitamin E is usually included in multivitamins, but is also available as an individual supplement as a capsulated oil. Carefully monitor how many capsulated vitamin E oil supplements you take per day to make sure that you do not exceed daily levels. Foods that contain high levels of vitamin E include avocados, olives, almonds and spinach. These can be eaten instead of taking a supplement in order to safely receive the right levels of vitamin E.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is beneficial to bone health, keeping inflammation down and maintaining cell growth and production. Vitamin D is found in sunlight, in certain foods, in multivitamins, and in some calcium supplements. Vitamin D, when taken at levels over 1,000 IUs per day, can cause side effects like kidney stones, digestive troubles, vomiting. Vitamin D overdose can easily occur when eating sweet, chewable calcium supplements that contain vitamin D. Foods that contain high levels of vitamin D include salmon, eggs, and fortified whole milk. Receiving exposure to sunlight periodically can help improve vitamin D levels in the body as well.
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