How Many Vitamins Are Too Many? Take Supplements Effectively

Vitamins from our food are necessary for optimal health. In addition, taking vitamin supplements is also very beneficial for wellness. Vitamin supplements give our body extra insurance because our food supply is depleted from the overproduction of agriculture. You would need to eat seven apples, nine carrots and quite a few other vegetables each and every day to give your body all the nutrition required. Most people are actually deficient in several nutrients which may lead to chronic illness, cancer and a shorter lifespan. Genetics play a role also, but nutrition is the main factor.

Whole-Food Vitamins

You can still get quite a few vitamins from eating plenty of raw organic fruits and vegetables daily, but if you want to ensure that you are getting everything you need you should also take a multivitamin each day. Food based multivitamins are best because they are made from food, making them more easily absorbed by the body. Whole food vitamins are the safest vitamins to take as a supplement because the doses are much lower than synthetic (lab created vitamins).

There is a major concern over how many vitamins are too many. The answer is actually different for every person because each individual has unique needs when it comes to nutrition. Some people who have been nutritionally deficient for long periods of time actually need higher doses of vitamins at first in order to regain health. This is also the case for people with chronic health problems.

Synthetic Vitamins

Synthetic vitamins are man-made in a lab. The body does respond to synthetic vitamins in the same way that it responds to whole food with vitamins; however it is possible to overdose on synthetic vitamins because they can be made in very high concentrations.

Yet, some Naturopathic doctors need to give patients very high doses of vitamins for a short period of time in order to get them well. These people are chronically ill and severely depleted of nutrition, but the average person does not need high doses of synthetic vitamins on a daily basis. A good food based vitamin is best for someone who is already healthy.

How Does the Body Use Vitamins?

The body actually stores excess vitamins in the liver, and flushes out excess vitamins that can not be used. There are only certain specific vitamins that you should be worried about taking too much of. Your body actually needs high levels of vitamins in order to do a good job maintaining and repairing tissues. People with specific health problems may need more of certain nutrients such as vitamin C, and vitamin A. for immune function.

Vitamin A

There are only a few vitamins that you can actually overdose on, and vitamin A. is one of those vitamins. Vitamin A in retinol form can become toxic to the liver when it is taken in extremely high doses. You should not take more than 10,000, IU of vitamin A. per day. However, vitamin A can be taken safely in large doses when it is in another form. Beta carotene is a safe form of vitamin A. You can take up to 35,000 IU of beta carotene without causing harm to your body. Beta carotene is found in carrots, broccoli, and other dark green leafy vegetables.

Other Vitamins to Take in Moderation

There are only a handful of vitamins that you can over dose on. Vitamin A is at the top of the list, but you can also overdose on iron, niacin, vitamin D, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. You should not take more than 400 mg of vitamin B6 per day. Vitamin B6 is a very beneficial vitamin, in moderation. However, too much of a good thing can be bad, and excess B6 can cause nervous system problems that lead to numbness in the hands and mouth, along with loss of mobility.

High doses of vitamin C will not cause any serious damage, but too much can cause diarrhea and stomach aches. Most people need about 500 mg per day unless they are very sick. If you have a cold or flu virus the body will utilize more vitamin C to fight the virus without causing any side effects.

Too much vitamin D can cause buildup of calcium deposits along with muscle or heart problems. More than 40,000 IU of vitamin D per day is too much. Too much niacin can lead to liver damage if you take more than 2000 mg daily. In addition, you should not take more than 50 mg of iron per day unless you are a pregnant or nursing mother. Too much iron can cause liver damage or a build up of fluid in the lungs.