Vitamins are organic compounds that your body needs in small amounts. When you do not get enough of certain vitamins, a deficiency can lead to health problems like osteoporosis or a weakened immune system. But supplementing with megadoses of vitamins can also be harmful to health, and may even cause vitamin toxicity.
The recommended daily allowances and upper limits have been determined and are listed by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH. Some vitamins can be toxic if consumed at a high amount; this is especially true if you have li...
Your body requires a range of compounds from your diet to function properly. Among these essential compounds are amino acids -- small molecules that make up protein -- as well as vitamins -- organic molecules that support cellu...
Whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, dairy and whole grains, are loaded with vitamins in their naturally occurring state. Taking too many vitamins or taking them in mega-doses can actually be harmful. Certain vitamins can...
As opposed to the water-soluble vitamins, A, D and E are fat-soluble, or stored in the body's fat cells, making them more prone to vitamin toxicity when taken in supplement form. Niacin, a water-soluble vitamin, is often taken ...
Pregnant women need to get a certain amount of these nutrients in order to ensure the health of their developing fetuses. However, vitamin A overconsumption can lead to a toxic fetal reaction that triggers the onset of birth de...
Harvard Medical School's Dr. Walter Willett, head of the school's nutrition department, recommends this "nutritional insurance" just in case you don't get your daily allotment of vitamins and minerals from the food you eat. Whe...
Although necessary for human health, certain vitamins can become toxic to you if you take too much of them. This usually happens when a supplement you're taking contains an excessive amount of a certain vitamin, or you misinte...
People with healthy kidneys who do not take megadoses of vitamins seldom have to worry about vitamin toxicity. However, this can be a real problem for patients in the latter stages of kidney disease. Even relatively small amoun...
While it is important to your health that you get adequate amounts of the B vitamins from either food sources or supplements, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Overdosing on B vitamins, either by taking too muc...
While many people worry about not getting enough vitamins, patients with advanced kidney disease are in the uneasy position of simultaneously lacking some vitamins while having toxic levels of others. Since bodies with impaired...
Vitamins can contribute to your overall health, particularly if you struggle to consume enough of certain vitamins solely from your diet. As in many things, moderation is the key. Careless or excessive vitamin supplement use ca...
Vitamins are compounds needed by your body, but that cannot be produced by your body. As a result, you have to consume most vitamins as part of your diet in order for your body to function properly. Certain health conditions, d...
Conversely, fat-soluble vitamins -- vitamins A, D, E and K -- are stored in fat tissue and various organs and are not quickly eliminated, so accumulation to toxic levels can occur with long-term consumption of large doses.
They are needed in relatively small amounts compared to water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, they are needed for good health. At the same time, excessive vitamin and mineral use can be toxic. It is important to con...
This is especially true in children, who may see vitamin supplements as candy and accidentally take a high concentration of vitamins. Even children's multivitamins can be dangerous if taken in high numbers. Non-specific sympt...
They are a mother-to-be's back-up source for her diet, which may be lacking in some key vitamins and minerals. However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. By taking prenatal vitamins correctly, women can avoid epis...
Vitamin D3 in and of itself is not a toxic substance; it is actually a very beneficial fat-soluble vitamin, required for numerous bodily functions. However, according to Elson Haas in his book "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," ...
There are a total of 13 vitamins and each one must be consumed daily to maintain proper body function. Too much of a certain vitamin, however, can lead to a vitamin toxicity, which can have negative health effects.
There are a total of nine water-soluble vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, pantothenic acid and biotin. Although most of the water-soluble vitamins are not toxic, some of them hav...
During pregnancy, the fetus is very vulnerable to toxins in the uterine environment. Substances such as certain vitamins may be completely harmless to the mother, but could have disastrous effects on the development of the fetu...
Vitamin supplements are usually available in various formulations, combinations and doses that may lead to toxicity if taken the wrong way. It is important to check with your health care provider before using any vitamin suppl...
Vitamin B2 also works to make folic acid and vitamin B6 usable in your body. Although vitamin B2 rarely causes toxicity, the daily requirement of this water-soluble vitamin is rather small. Before you begin taking a vitamin B2 ...
For all it can do, the liver can, and sometimes does, become overburdened. Stored in the liver, fat-soluble vitamins may prove toxic if taken in large doses. While the body needs these vitamins to remain healthy, it is importan...
However, it is easy to think you need more if you stroll down the vitamin supplement aisle at your local drugstore. Sometimes, your body needs more vitamins than recommended, but occasionally, too much of a good thing can lead ...
Toxicity is a state of poisoning that occurs upon exposure to a substance. Herbs and vitamins are capable of causing toxicity under certain circumstances. In many cases, the dose determines the toxicity of a given herb or vitam...
Vitamins are needed to support a healthy body. In large amounts, however, certain vitamins can be toxic, leading to a condition called vitamin toxicity or vitamin poisoning. The dosage at which toxicity occurs, and the symptoms...
The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences Research Council has established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) for most of the fat-soluble vitamins. Beyond these UL doses, symptoms of toxicity may appear.
Vitamin toxicity is common for those who overconsume a certain food or take too much of a particular vitamin. Although all vitamins are vital to many functions in your body, too much of any type of vitamin can cause health prob...
Since only the fat-soluble vitamins---A, D, E and K---are stored in your body in greater-than-needed amounts, they are the ones mostly like to reach toxic levels. Vitamin D has the potential to be more toxic than any other vita...