The 13 vitamins your body requires are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins, which are vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamine. Vitamin toxicity depends on the dose ingested and whether the vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin or a fat-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins, like the B vitamins, are absorbed by the body and the kidneys typically remove any unneeded amounts of these vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E and K, are stored in the body. Although your body needs vitamins to function properly, certain doses are harmful to your health.
Vitamin A
According to the Merck Manuals Online Library, a rapid onset of vitamin A toxicity occurs in children, generally accidentally, who take doses greater than 300,000 IU. Doses of greater than 100,000 IU per day taken by adults and older children can cause toxicity that progresses over a long period of time. Osteoporosis may occur in adults by taking doses greater than 4,500 IU per day.
B Vitamins
According to the Merck Manuals Online Library, the B vitamins folate, riboflavin and thiamin are essentially nontoxic. Vitamin B-12 appears nontoxic in large doses but is not recommended for regular use. According to the National Institutes of Health, doses of pantothenic acid over the recommended daily intake of 5 mg per day for people 14 years of age or older can cause diarrhea, and biotin is considered nontoxic.
A large amount of niacin is used as a treatment option to alter cholesterol levels, but doses of niacin that are 3,000 mg per day or greater can cause complications like abdominal discomfort and blurred vision. Vitamin B-6 doses greater than 500 mg per day are used to treat certain conditions, but can cause nerve damage.
Vitamin C
A toxic dose of vitamin C, according to the Merck Manuals Online Library, is greater than 2,000 mg per day.
Vitamin D
According to the Merck Manuals Online Library, toxicity occurs within 1 to 4 months in infants who are given 40,000 IU per day. Vitamin D toxicity occurs in adults who take 50,000 IU per day for several months.
Vitamin E
According to the Merck Manuals Online Library, toxic levels of vitamin E are doses above 1,000 mg per day. The most important risk related to high levels of vitamin E is bleeding.
Vitamin K
According to the Merck Manuals Online Library, vitamin K is not toxic whether or not you take large amounts of it.
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