It is a known fact that vitamins or its supplements are essential to maintain the body health. Vitamin supplements are taken along with diet to meet the required demands of vitamin supply. However, they have to be taken in right amounts or doses. One important thing you should know when using these supplements is vitamin toxicity. Vitamin toxicity is the condition where overdose or excessive usage of vitamins or its supplements causes various side effects. Not only overdose of supplements, even other metabolic conditions like hyperparathyroidism cause vitamin toxicity.
Water-soluble vitamins which are easily dissolved in water move out of the body easily. So, they have to be taken daily to meet the nutrient demands. However, there is no problem with these vitamins. Most of the issues of vitamin toxicity is seen with fat-soluble vitamins that are dissolved in fat and are deposited in fat tissues of the body and are not excreted out.
Let’s first know the side effects of vitamin toxicity caused by fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A toxicity causes problems in liver, nervous system, and bones. Nausea, dizziness, and uncoordinated movement are some of the common symptoms of vitamin A toxicity. Overdose of vitamin D increases the levels of calcium in urine and blood stream. This leads to severe problems with your bones, soft tissues, and kidneys. Increased levels of vitamin E affects blood clotting and rises the risk of hemorrhages.
As said, water-soluble vitamin toxicity is very rare. Vitamin B1 toxicity can deplete other B vitamins. It disrupts insulin and thyroid production. Overdose of folic acid causes gas, poor appetite, and stomach upset. Diarrhea and kidney stone formation are some of the effects of vitamin C overdose. Now that you got an idea on the side effects of vitamin toxicity, avoid overuse of vitamins.
