Many people in the United States take multivitamins, and while these can be beneficial, they can also be dangerous to your health. For example, taking vitamin D in the form of a supplement can help your body absorb calcium, but getting too much can prove toxic. Other vitamins can have negative effects in high doses, as well. Talk to your doctor about what supplements and dosages you should be taking.
Definition and Function of a Multivitamin
Multivitamins are the most common form of supplements taken, according to Donald Hensrud, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic. They contain the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to develop and continue to function properly. There are a wide variety of multivitamin tabs that may contain more or less of certain vitamins, such as vitamin D. Many people take a multivitamin in the belief that it will "make up" for what is lacking their diet, but no pill will entirely compensate for poor food choices.
When You Need Supplements
Your doctor may prescribe a multivitamin tab or other type of supplement if you do not meet all of your needs for vitamins and minerals through your diet, or if you have a malabsorption disease or other condition that keeps your body from properly absorbing nutrients in food. Additionally, you may need to take a multivitamin tab when you are pregnant, ill or develop a deficiency. Older adults, people with dark skin, and those who are not exposed to an adequate amount of sunlight are at a particular risk for developing a vitamin D deficiency and may need a supplement to prevent this.
Dangers of a Vitamin D Toxicity
The RDA for vitamin D is 5 mcg or 200 IU for adults between the ages of 19 and 50, and it is 10 mcg or 400 IU for those between 51 and 70. It is nearly impossible to overdose on this vitamin if you acquire it through food and sunlight. But, if you take a supplement or multivitamin with vitamin D, you run the risk of developing a toxicity. Symptoms of this include nausea, constipation, weakness, confusion, kidney stones and an irregular heartbeat. As of 2010, the tolerable upper limit of vitamin D for adults is 2,000 IU, though there is some debate among researchers that this limit is too low. Your doctor can help you determine how much vitamin D you need.
Balanced Diet and Additional Considerations
If you are able to eat and absorb nutrients from a healthy diet, this is the best way to get the vitamins you need, including vitamin D. A balanced diet contains food items from all of the major groups, including good sources of vitamin D like eggs, fatty fish and fortified milk and cereal. If you need additional supplementation, your doctor may recommend that you take an individual vitamin D supplement, rather than a multivitamin tab. Always discuss new supplements with your health-care provider before you begin taking them.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Supplement Use Increases, But a Healthy Diet Is the Key; Donald Hensrud, M.D.; April 2011
- MedlinePlus; Multivitamins; September 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin D; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin D Toxicity: What if You Get Too Much?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; December 2010
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