What can happen to your body if you take multivitamin supplements every day

Multivitamin or single vitamin supplements, especially when taken in high doses, expose you to various side effects

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Many people take vitamin supplements every day but what effect can this habit have on the body? Here's what the science says.

Often we take supplements too lightly, considering them harmless products that will surely help improve our health. Precisely for this reason in some cases they are chosen and taken in complete autonomy even if the do-it-yourself, we have said several times, is absolutely not recommended (Read also: 5 things you should consider before taking any supplement).

In reality, even when it comes to natural products, there is still the risk of possible side effects or dangerous interactions with the medications one takes. Considering this, it is always good to ask for a medical consultation, even if you want to use simple multivitamins or single vitamin supplements.

But what can happen to the body by taking a vitamin supplement every day, perhaps in high doses? Some scientific research has highlighted several risks.

Of course, if we take the correct multivitamin (or single vitamin) we could have many advantages: feeling more energy, for example. However, it is important to choose one or more vitamins that we are really lacking and this can only be established with due analysis.

Otherwise, however, that is, if we take a multivitamin that we do not even need (since we are not deficient in those vitamins) and perhaps even in high doses, we expose ourselves to the risk of a series of problems.

Index

Interaction with drugs

As is well known, some food supplements can conflict with medications or other supplements that you already take, increasing or decreasing their effect. A situation that can prove to be particularly dangerous, especially when it comes to certain medicines such as blood thinners.

Increased stroke risk

Most vitamins are water soluble while vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Taking too much of a fat-soluble vitamin can be dangerous as the body can't get rid of them and they tend to accumulate.

Taking too much vitamin E or beta carotene, in particular, can be extremely dangerous. In fact, according to a study published in JAMA Neurology:

"Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol) supplementation increased the incidence and mortality due to subarachnoid hemorrhage ... while beta carotene supplementation increased the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage"

It can lead to an unhealthy diet

Those who take a multivitamin every day may have the false sense of security that this is enough and that there is no need to eat a healthy diet. In reality it is the exact opposite: if we follow a healthy diet we would hardly need a multivitamin or maybe we should only integrate a vitamin that we are all a bit lacking such as vitamin D.

It can affect blood sugar levels

Chewable, chewable vitamins have become all the rage, even among adults. However, it is very important to avoid these products especially if you are diabetic. These vitamins, in fact, usually contain added sugars or other substances that can also be a problem for those with allergies, food sensitivities or other dietary needs. Overdose in these cases is more harmful than ever.

It can cause nerve damage

In some cases, vitamin overdose can cause nerve side effects. A study by StatPearls found that taking too much vitamin B6 can cause toxicity and generate problems in the nervous system.

“All cases of vitamin B6 toxicity result from supra-therapeutic doses, both iatrogenic and for consumers self-treating with over-the-counter supplements. On the other hand, daily food intake will not provide enough pyridoxine to cause toxicity "

Intoxication

If we take too much vitamin D from dietary supplements, this can create an increase in calcium levels (hypercalcemia), which leads to a number of vitamin D intoxication symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting. If the overdose does not stop then other symptoms may appear including headache, drowsiness and weakness.

Read also: Don't overdo the vitamin D! Excess can create intoxication

Kidney stones

Before choosing a supplement, it is essential to check the dose, especially if it is calcium or vitamin D.

"Vitamin D, and in particular its active metabolite calcitriol, increases the absorption of digestive calcium, since urinary calcium excretion is directly related to digestive calcium absorption, the metabolites could theoretically increase calcium and promote the formation of urinary stones ”according to a study published in Nutrients.

Feeling healthier than you actually are

“Supplements are never a substitute for a balanced and healthy diet. And they can be a distraction from healthy lifestyle practices that confer far greater benefits, ”Dr. JoAnn Manson said in an interview with Harvard Health.

A study we have already talked about has highlighted among other things that those who take multivitamins believe they are healthier when in reality there are no differences at all with those who do not take them.

Also Read: Do Multivitamin Supplements Really Work? The Harvard study

The symptoms of covid are not reduced

During the pandemic, the vitamin C supplement was talked about several times as a possible ally against the more serious symptoms of covid. In fact, one study found that taking high doses of vitamin C or zinc is not helpful in coping with the disease and an overdose is not recommended (particularly in the case of zinc). (Read also: Zinc and Vitamin C do not reduce symptoms of Covid-19 (unfortunately). The new study).