Vitamin supplements have a range of potential benefits: they can help to make up for low dietary intake of specific nutrients, help prevent some medical conditions, and compensate for increased nutrient demands as you age. However, too much of a good thing can prove harmful. Overusing vitamin supplements can eventually lead to vitamin and nutrient toxicities that can harm your health.
Possible Causes of Overuse
Vitamin overuse can occur for a number of reasons, including over-consuming a single type of vitamin supplement, combining vitamin supplements with pharmaceutical-grade vitamins, or consuming a combination of different dietary supplements. For example, if you consume a multivitamin and take fish oil supplements, you might accidentally overuse vitamin A, since the vitamin is present in high amounts in both types of supplements. Vitamin overuse can lead to a single vitamin toxicity, toxicity of several vitamins, or an overdose of minerals or other compounds in the supplement.
Short-Term Effects
If you over-consume and overuse vitamins, you might develop a number of short-tern adverse effects after taking the supplements. A common symptom of vitamin overuse is constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, as your body responds to the abnormally high dose of the vitamin. In addition, the vitamin overuse might cause temporary headaches, fatigue, irritability or muscle weakness shortly after taking the supplement.
Longer-Term Tissue Damage
Chronic overuse of vitamins can also cause tissue damage, which can prove irreparable. Some vitamins, such as vitamins A and D, accumulate within your liver tissue, and eventually cause liver toxicity. In addition, overuse of vitamins can place excessive strain on your kidney cells, causing kidney damage over time. Vitamin overuse can also lead to irreparable nerve damage: for example, the iron found in multivitamins can cause brain and nerve damage when consumed in very high doses as a result of vitamin overuse. Finally, chronic overuse of vitamin D can lead to bone tissue damage over time.
Avoiding and Treating Vitamin Overuse
Perhaps the most effective way to avoid vitamin overuse is to consult a physician before taking any dietary supplements to allow a trained professional to design a vitamin supplement program to meet your body's needs without causing an accidental vitamin overdose. Follow your physician's dosage instructions for each supplement you take, and notify your doctor of any new supplement usage. You can also help protect your family from vitamin overuse or toxicity by storing your vitamin supplements in child-proof containers, as well as consulting a professional before giving vitamin supplements to a child or adolescent. If you develop symptoms of vitamin overuse, cease supplementation immediately and seek medical attention.
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