Vitamins are essential to the health of your tissues. Vitamins guide cellular maturation, help cells communicate effectively, allow for tissue development, support cellular energy production and help fight off disease. If your diet does not provide adequate levels of vitamins to meet your body's needs, vitamin supplements may prove beneficial. However vitamin supplements -- especially if taken incorrectly -- may present a health risk, and taking too many vitamins can lead to side effects.
Bioaccumulation
While you can overdose on almost any vitamin, some vitamins can accumulate within your tissue, a process called bioaccumulation. Your body can excrete excess amounts of some vitamins in your urine, while others remain in your body. Excess amounts of fat-soluble vitamins -- such as A, E, K and D -- are stored in your liver. If you consume too much of specific vitamins, especially vitamins A and D, you can eventually experience severe vitamin toxicity.
Vitamin A Overdose
Overconsumption of vitamin A can cause vitamin A toxicity, or hypervitaminosis A. You risk developing this condition when you consume large doses of vitamin A over a short period of time or moderately overconsume vitamin A for long periods. Persons with hypervitaminosis A may develop bone pain, scaly red skin, blurred vision, dizziness and longer-term symptoms such as liver damage. To prevent hypervitaminosis A, consult a dietitian before you begin taking vitamin supplements.
Vitamin D Overdose
Taking too much vitamin D can also lead to side effects. Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in your tissues, and overconsuming vitamin D can increase the level of calcium in your bloodstream. This heightened calcium blood level causes calcium to leech from your bones and can contribute to kidney stones and calcium deposits in various organs. Only take vitamin D supplements under the supervision of a medical professional, and increase your vitamin D level through safer means, such as moderate sun exposure.
Other Vitamin Overdoses
While vitamins A and D may present the most potential for long-term tissue damage, taking too much of any vitamin can have negative side effects. If you take a very high dose of any vitamin, you may suffer from excessively high levels of that vitamin in your system as your body works to eliminate it. For example, your body can eliminate excess vitamin C, but taking high doses of the vitamin can increase your risk of kidney stones, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The specific side effects of vitamin overconsumption vary depending on which vitamin you consumed. To avoid overconsumption, follow the supplement dosage guidelines set out by your physician or the supplement manufacturer.
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