The Toxicity Of Fat Soluble Vitamins

Your body has an unlimited ability to store the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. This ability can be extremely beneficial if your dietary intake of any of these vitamins falls short. If you regularly consume high amounts of a specific vitamin or take a vitamin supplement, however, the ability to store fat-soluble vitamins may lead to a dangerous condition called a vitamin toxicity.

Vitamin A

If you regularly consume too much vitamin A, it can lead to a toxic condition called hypervitaminosis A. Chronic hypervitaminosis A occurs as a result of consuming too much vitamin A over a prolonged period of time, whereas acute hypervitaminosis A occurs from consuming excess amounts of the vitamin in a short period of time. Both types of vitamin A toxicity can cause blurred vision, double vision, headache, headache, nausea, hair loss, cracks in the sides of the mouth, decreased appetite, dizziness, itchy skin, changes in the color of the skin and vomiting. Infants with toxic amounts of vitamin A in their bodies may develop softening of the skull bone and a bulging fontanelle, which is the soft spot in the skull.

Hypervitaminosis A can usually be reversed by lowering your intake of the vitamin. According to Medline Plus, most people fully recover from the toxicity. If you do not lower your vitamin A intake, hypervitaminosis A can lead to liver damage, kidney damage, high levels of calcium in the blood and failure to thrive in infants.

Vitamin D

Hypervitaminosis D is a toxic condition that occurs as a result of consuming too much vitamin D. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that this condition is most often caused by consuming prescription forms of vitamin D supplements. Those with hypervitaminosis D may experience constipation, decreased appetite, dehydration, fatigue, vomiting, muscle weakness and irritability. Mild to moderate forms of hypervitaminosis D can usually be reversed with the cessation of vitamin D supplements. More severe forms may require medical intervention. If left untreated, hypervitaminosis D can lead to kidney damage, kidney stones, high blood calcium and severe dehydration.

Vitamin E and K

Vitamin E and K have not been shown to be toxic in high amounts. Excessive intake of vitamin E can increase your risk of hemorrhaging, however. No side effects from excess intake of vitamin K have been reported.

Considerations

The Food and Nutrition Board, a subgroup of the Institute of Medicine, developed an upper tolerable intake level, or UL, for the vitamins that have the potential to cause toxicity or adverse physical symptoms. The UL represents the highest amount of a particular vitamin that you can safely consume on a daily basis. The UL for vitamin A is 3,000 mcg per day, whereas the UL for vitamin D is 100 mcg. Vitamin E has a UL of 1,000 mg per day. No UL has been set for vitamin K.