SEVEN DANGERS OF OVERDOSING ON MULTIVITAMINS
It is often said that health is wealth and It is the desire of every human to live good and healthy lives hence the need to fill in the nutrient gap in our daily diets and to conserve or enhance our health which is usually affected by the wrong choice in the food menu, ignorance on the classes of food, the correct time to eat, and unhealthy lifestyles.
Nutritionists and health care providers have consistently stressed the need for every child and adult alike to always feed on a balanced diet. A balanced diet is a meal which contains all the classes of food in the right proportion and is normally achieved by eating a myriad of food and food items.
What then are Multivitamins?
Multivitamins can be defined as a collection of different vitamins that are normally found in food and other food products. Multivitamins are thus used to complement the deficient vitamins lacking in our diets, so they can be seen as supplements that help the body gain the needed nutrients for optimal performance.
One can easily get a multivitamin without the Doctor’s prescription making it easier and readily available to the general populace and since most people see and consider multivitamins as “safe” there is this tendency for it to be easily abused which of course has its underlying dangers.
This article discusses what multivitamins are made of, whether one should be worried about taking them or not, and also review the potential dangers and side effects likely associated with the consumption of the different types of multivitamins.
What are these Multivitamins made of?
Multivitamins generally are composed of three major nutrient category and they are:
Fat-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins
Minerals
• Fat-soluble vitamins
These groups of vitamins dissolve in fats, accumulate in the body system, and can cause harmful side effects if taken in excess. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K
• Water-soluble vitamins
These are groups of vitamins that are easily dissolved in water and do not usually accumulate in the body since they are readily excreted in urine hence there are usually no side effects associated with their excessive intake. Examples of this group of vitamins include Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C.
• Minerals
Minerals just like the fat-soluble vitamins can also accumulate in the body and sometimes cause harmful effects if taken in abundance. Examples include calcium, phosphate, sodium, potassium, iron, iodine, fluoride.
Should you be worried about taking multivitamins?
Most of the dangers mentioned in this article only emerge after an individual consumes nutrients in amounts that transends the upper levels (ULs) of the individual nutrients. Exceeding a nutrient’s Upper Limit can lead to an overdose and severe side effects, such as liver damage and even death.
Multivitamins may also become contaminated with harmful compounds, such as lead or arsenic. When these harmful compounds are ingested in large amounts or over a longer period of time, they may cause a myriad of health issues, including but not limited to physical, muscular, and neurological problems, as well as birth defects.
Seven Possible dangers of Multivitamin overdose
1. Skin rash
A temporary eruption on the skin, usually typified by reddening which may be accompanied by itching throughout the body. It is one of the common side effects of multivitamin overdose especially those containing high levels of vitamin B and in most cases, the level of the skin rash depends on the amount of Vitamin B complex overdose.
2. Gastrointestinal disorders
This is another common danger associated with multivitamin overdose, this comprises of side effects directly affecting the stomach and intestines and the disorders here could range from mild stomach cramps to intense severe diarrhea while others may suffer from dyspepsia (indigestion) and nausea
3. Insomnia
This is simply the difficulty of falling asleep. An overdose of certain multivitamins can initiate or exacerbate an insomnia case. Multivitamins termed “energy givers” are usually the culprits here as they tend to interfere with the normal sleep cycle.
4. Hypotension
Also known as low blood pressure; it is a condition in which the arterial blood pressure is abnormally low and is caused by several factors however it had been indicated that when lofty amounts of vitamin B2, usually referred to as riboflavin is taken, it can cause hypotension and also a long term effect on the cardiovascular system.
5. Hypertension
Hypertension occurs when the arterial blood pressure becomes overtly higher than is absolutely necessary. This high pressure will then make the heart pump faster to meet up with the diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Over consumption of certain multivitamins are being implicated in triggering hypertension in individuals
6. Tingling sensation or Numbness
Tingling sensation in either the left or right part of the body gradually arises from consistent and persistent use of multivitamins though seldom reported and rarely occurs and this symptom is one of the early warning indications of an overdose of multivitamin whose major constituent is vitamin B12.
7. Mood swings
Multivitamins overdose does not only affect those involved physically but also harms mental health as well; some of the dangers of multivitamins overdose especially vitamins E and K may include mood swings accompanied intermittently with depression, restlessness, and panic attacks.
Final thoughts
Moderation is key to everything in life and dieting is not an exception. Though Multivitamins can be beneficial to those who may not be able to reach the daily nutrient needs through diet alone, great caution must however be taken by consulting with a medical practitioner to get the much-needed advice as to whether to venture into, truncate or stop the taking of multivitamins to attain optimum and productive life.
