Could Too Much Vitamins Be Dangerous? Which ones are at greatest risk? And how to choose vitamins so as not to harm yourself? The expert answers.
Today, during a pandemic, everyone is puzzled by improving health, and in this regard, vitamins. But isn't uncontrolled and excessive infatuation too dangerous? Let's talk about hypervitaminosis.
What is hypervitaminosis
For the normal functioning of our body, vitamins are not needed so much. But, unfortunately, we are not always able to develop even a small amount of them on our own. From the external environment, a person receives vitamins mainly with food.
What is the result of their lack? There is a great risk of hypovitaminosis. If they are absent at all, this is the right path to vitamin deficiency.
Almost everyone has heard of scurvy and rickets . These are the most famous diseases caused by vitamin C deficiency, in the case of scurvy and D, which leads to the development of childhood rickets. Our fellow citizensThere is a misconception that vitamin deficiency is a seasonal problem. But the times of scarcity are long gone, and access to all types of products is available at any time of the year.
Of course, if a person eats monotonously, for example, does not eat fish or meat, then he deprives himself of some of the nutrients. But with good nutrition, we have the opportunity to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals from food. It is also worth noting that in the presence of any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with malabsorption, the cause of hypovitaminosis may be clinical.
What vitamins most often cause hypervitaminosis
First of all, hypervitaminosis occurs from an excess of fat-soluble vitamins. These include 4 vitamins - A, D, E, K. Their "reserves" are stored in the liver and adipose tissue.It is important for metabolism that the body processes fats well, so there is no need to take this type of vitamins every day.Poisoning can occur with excessive use .
As for the water-soluble vitamins - C and group B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12), they immediately enter the bloodstream and practically do not accumulate in tissues. The body must receive them every day. The excess of this group is excreted in the urine, and the likelihood of harm to health is minimal.
What unpleasant consequences can an uncontrolled reception lead to?
If you do not take additional vitamin and mineral supplements, then an overdose is not threatened. Unless, with excessive consumption of foods containing beta-carotene (red and orange), relatively harmless yellowness may occur. But the fashion for various dietary supplements, unfortunately, often becomes the cause of hypervitaminosis. Weakness, anxiety, nausea, sweating, rapid breathing, muscle pain, allergic reactions, skin redness, anxiety, insomnia, fluctuations in blood pressure may appear. thereforeIt is highly recommended that you go to your doctor and check your vitamin levels before taking any medication.
It is also necessary to make allowances for the current state of health and comorbidities. For example, taking vitamin A increases the risk of osteoporosis, smokers are more likely to have lung cancer, and pregnant women may be at risk of fetal malformations. Vitamin E can cause heart failure and, in men, the development of prostate cancer.
How to tell if there is a vitamin D overdose
Today vitamin D is at the height of fashion . They talk a lot about him, write, associate various conditions and diseases with his lack. Some doctors recommend taking it in large enough doses.
Recall that this vitamin is produced in the skin by UV and is known as the "sunshine vitamin". It is responsible for bone health, ensures the absorption of calcium in the intestines, participates in the regulation of the neuromuscular and immune systems, maintains the balance of calcium and phosphate in the blood. Lack of vitamin D leads to softening of bone tissue and rickets in children.
But its excess also has a negative impact. It leads to bone demineralization, the formation of kidney stones, loss of appetite, weight loss, joint and muscle pain, surges in blood pressure, sleep disturbances, and seizures.
According to modern Russian recommendations, a blood level of 25 (OH) D above 30 ng / ml is considered the norm. To prevent deficiency, pediatricians recommend giving children 1000 IU daily. Adults need 600-800 IU (micrograms) / day, people over 50 need 800-1000 IU / day.
How much vitamin C can you take without harm to health
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), like D, is one of the most recognizable and popular.Erbut for some reason endowed with a miraculous effect in the treatment of ARVI Unfortunately, this is a myth!According to various studies, even high doses of this vitamin do not affect the severity and duration of the disease. But he participates in the synthesis of collagen, in the absorption of iron, performs an antioxidant function.
The best source of vitamin C is fruits and vegetables such as oranges , bell peppers, strawberries, cabbage, including sauerkraut, and many others. If they are present in the diet in sufficient quantities, you do not need to take additional vitamin C.
With excessive consumption, an overdose can be expressed in a violation of the insulin response to carbohydrates, intestinal upset. People with kidney disease may be more likely to have kidney stones.
Is it possible to do without vitamin supplements at all
WHO recommends plant and animal products as the best source of vitamins. Food of animal origin contains almost all the necessary vitamins, except for C. Vegetable does not contain vitamins B12, D and A, but there is its precursor beta-carotene.
Additional vitamin and mineral complexes are needed for people with chronic diseases, intestinal absorption disorders (malabsorption, celiac disease), pregnant women, children during the period of active growth. In other words, everyone who, for one reason or another, does not get enough vitamins from food.
With osteoporosis, additional vitamin D and calcium are required, women need folic acid during pregnancy , the need for vitamins B12 and D increases in old age, potassium iodide preparations are recommended for residents of regions with iodine deficiency.
Is it safe to take vitamins without consulting a doctor
A healthy person who eats varied and feels well does not need to be tested for vitamins. The only recommendation is to take vitamin D in prophylactic doses.
If, for example, you do not like fish, or eat few vegetables, or have excluded meat from your diet , consult your doctor for advice on how to compensate for the lack of vitamins. In this case, a specialist may recommend taking a blood test for vitamins, and then you, together with the doctor, decide how to proceed. You are either replacing missing foods with others of equal nutritional value or taking nutritional supplements.
It should be noted that multivitamins are more likely to have side effects due to the high content of active ingredients or herbs. And some trace elements and vitamins in one preparation can interfere with the absorption of each other and the assimilation of other drugs.
And finally, a universal advice: try to eat varied and balanced. Then you do not need to take additional vitamins and supplements.
0 Comments