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Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that the body needs to function normally. Multivitamin supplements can help prevent deficiencies , but exceeding its consumption also has negative effects.
The body requires that you obtain micronutrients through the food you eat since the body does not usually produce them, with exceptions such as in the case of vitamin D. The body produces vitamin D when exposed skin is exposed to the sun.
Harvard School of Public Health explains that a diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good protein packs, and healthy fats should provide most of the nutrients needed for a good health.
People should get most of their nutrients from food and drink, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Although he also points out that in some cases, supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet the needs of one or more nutrients with the diet alone.
Negative effects of excessive consumption of vitamins and minerals
Vitamin A
Vitamin A toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis A , leads to increased intracranial pressure, dizziness, nausea, headaches, skin irritation, joint and bone pain, coma and even death in cases extremes
High intake of preformed vitamin A in pregnant women can also cause birth defects in their babies. The NIH states that women who may be pregnant should not take high doses of supplement s of vitamin A.
Vitamin C and zinc
Too much vitamin C or zinc can cause nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. In generally healthy adults, large doses of vitamin C are not toxic, any excess is excreted in the urine. The maximum level of 2000 mg of vitamin C per day is an intake that is unlikely to cause adverse health effects. Taking more than this amount can produce adverse effects.
Harvard notes that higher intakes a 3000 mg per day of vitamin C can also increase kidney stone formation in people with existing kidney disease or history of stones.
Selenium
Too much selenium could lead to hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue and mild nerve damage , as explained by nutrition experts through WebMD.
Vitamin D
Johanna Dwyer, RD, Senior Research Scientist from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, says that vitamin D, calcium, and folic acid are three nutrients that people can c Overeating through supplements.
Very high levels of vitamin D in the blood can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration, excessive urination and thirst, and kidney stones. Extremely high levels of vitamin D can cause kidney failure, irregular heartbeat, and even death.
Calcium
The NIH shares that some research suggests that high calcium intake may increase the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer.
High levels of calcium in the blood and urine can cause a poor muscle, poor kidney function, low phosphate levels, constipation, nausea, weight loss, extreme tiredness, frequent urination, abnormal heart rhythms, and a high risk of heart disease. However, high calcium levels are caused by a health condition such as high levels of parathyroid hormone or cancer, not by high calcium intakes.
Folic acid
Folate that is naturally present in food is not harmful. But taking supplements in amounts that exceed the recommended limits could mask a vitamin B deficiency 12. The NIH publishes that vitamin B deficiency 12 can cause permanent damage to the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
High doses of folic acid could increase the risk of colorectal cancer and other cancers in some people.
Through food it is difficult to exaggerate micronutrient intake to dangerous levels , although there are some products such as liver, the “multivitamin of nature”, whose consumption should be moderate.
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