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Vitamins: should you stop taking the pills?

The idea that vitamins can’t hurt us is widely accepted, even though studies have shown that large quantities may actually do harm. Why has this idea of vitamins as a panacea really stuck around? Look at the root of the word: ‘Vita’ means life. I think people can’t imagine you could ever get too much of a good thing. But the second thing is that this industry is very good at projecting the idea that this product lives under an untouchable halo. It’s a matter of perception. If you go into a General Nutrition Center, you can get a preparation which contains 3,333% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E. In fact, that’s a typical Vitamin E preparation that’s available. If you open up the…

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 How these two vitamin supplements could do more harm than good

Fat-soluble vitamins are more likely to cause adverse effects if consumed in large doses. Here’s what the experts say about vitamin A and E. Vitamins and supplements are a booming industry. And while there are many important supplements that benefit people with specific deficiencies or certain health conditions, research shows and experts agree that some synthetic vitamins could cause harms such as liver damage, hair loss, joint and muscle pain, and impaired vision.

Articles of Interest

Vitamins, Are They Safe?

In conclusion, taking supplements of vitamin E, A, C, D, and folic acid for prevention of disease or cancer is not always effective, and can even be harmful to the health. So, it would be rational to limit these supplements consumption to those having deficiencies of the mentioned vitamins.

A Study Found Toxic Chemicals in Prenatal Vitamins. Now What?

Medical professionals warn that you should be cautious (and consult your doctor) before starting a new supplement or vitamin. That's because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes supplements as “food”—not drugs—and does not evaluate them before they are sold to consumers. Now, we're seeing a scary consequence of that miscategorization: A new observational study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that many prenatal vitamins contain harmful chemicals that put both mother and baby at risk.

Health supplements containing vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is in lots of multivitamin and mineral supplements that can be bought in supermarkets, health food shops and pharmacies without a prescription. Many people are not aware that vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy, which results in tingling, burning or numbness usually in the hands and feet. Taking vitamin B6 even at low doses can cause peripheral neuropathy but people are more likely to get it if they are taking more than one supplement.

Kids’ vitamin gummies: unhealthy, poorly regulated and exploitative

In our opinion, these products are unhealthy and exploitative. Their high sugar content may appeal to young children, but they’re not a good introduction to a healthy diet.

New vitamin supplement study finds they may do more harm than good

Taking supplements is very different from eating whole foods. Complications or health problems due to nutrient intakes are virtually always due to taking supplements, not eating foods. When you concentrate on one vitamin, mineral or nutrient in a supplement, you miss out on the other phytonutrients found in plant foods that contribute to overall health.

Please Understand That Vitamin Supplements Are Generally Not Good For Anything But Making Money

Here is a thing you might not have known: bombing your body with antioxidants is almost certainly not good. This is not the dominant narrative in the year 2012; “good source of antioxidants” is a food/nutrition industry mantra. Superfoods, innit. Free radicals are the root of all your body’s evil and by flooding yourself with purifying antioxidants, you can cure all that will ever ail you. It will be great and taste great and maybe you’ll even have better sex. This has been the plot for as long as I can remember (I’m 31). I don’t recall once hearing in any sort of popular media anything all that much more nuanced, let alone suggesting that it might be altogether wrong. No matter that good science has for quite some time been suggesting otherwise.

Take Vitamin Supplements with Caution: Some May Actually Cause Harm

Advice on vitamin and mineral supplementation is constantly changing. Over the past few years, well-conducted research has found that some supplements previously thought to be beneficial for disease prevention may not be helping — and some may actually be causing harm. This research includes the Iowa Women's Health Study, which tracked the supplementation habits of more than 38,000 women 55 and older for nearly 20 years. Among the findings, taking a multivitamin appeared to increase risk of premature death. Interestingly, the people who took multivitamins actually had better overall health habits than those that didn't.

The Dangers Of Going Overboard On Supplements

You’ve probably heard at some point that you might benefit from taking a multivitamin. Visit any vitamin aisle at your local drugstore, and you’ll see a variety of supplements designed to help you increase your intake of a range of vitamins and minerals. They seem pretty harmless—we’re talking about vitamins and minerals here, after all—but experts say you can actually go overboard with them and hurt your health.

The great multivitamin myth: Why the pills could be harming your immune system

There are plenty of companies claiming their vitamins can boost your immune system, but do you actually need them?

The safety of commonly used vitamins and minerals

Like all medicines, supplements can cause potential harms such as adverse reactions, drug interactions, monetary cost, delay of more effective therapy, false hope, and increased medication burden.

Too much of a good thing? Toxic effects of vitamin and mineral supplements

Vitamin deficiency syndromes are uncommon in Western countries, but many patients consume over-the-counter vitamin and mineral supplements with the hope of improving their health and preventing disease. Although the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplementation are commonly highlighted in both the professional and lay literature, their harmful effects often receive little attention.

Toxic Effects of Excess Vitamins A, B6, and Folic Acid on the Nervous System

These compounds, once viewed simply as supplemental nutrients, are now believed to play a more complex and critical role in human health. On the other hand, ingesting too much vitamins may cause negative health effects. Multiple studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between neurological problems and excessive vitamin intake.

Vitamin D Is Not as Toxic as Was Once Thought: A Historical and an Up-to-Date Perspective

The historical underpinnings of contemporary perspectives on vitamin D toxicity are rarely appreciated, but the concept that vitamin D is one of the most toxic fat-soluble vitamins has been instilled in the psyche of health regulators and the medical community. Currently, there is great concern about the potential for the widespread increased use of vitamin D increasing the risk for kidney stones, cardiovascular calcifications, and even death.

Vitamin supplements may do more harm than good

The findings of this review show that people should be turning first to supplementing their diet with ‘healthy food’ rather than supplements. Focussing on one vitamin or mineral supplement means missing out on a range of beneficial nutrients found in food that go along with that particular nutrient that contribute to overall health. If supplements are taken, it should be done so as being relevant to an identified deficiency of that nutrient.

Vitamins & Supplements Linked to Higher Death Risk?

Shocking, right, considering that vitamins are supposed to make you healthier. Here's what the researcher had to say: "Most supplements contain high amounts of specific compounds, and high doses could be toxic," explained the lead researcher. "If you combine several supplements, or a multivitamin with supplements, then you reach even higher potentially toxic doses." The takeaway here is that vitamins are not harmless. They can be harmful if not taken carefully. And since we're in an age of rampant self-medicating with supplements, we have to be even more careful about telling our doctors what pills we're popping in the name of health.

Who’s checking if your vitamins and supplements are safe?

Alice arrived in Wonderland and promptly downed a vial that said “drink me,” and we can probably all agree she was being a bit of an idiot. Magical land or not, she’s a child, she has no idea where that conveniently placed tube came from, and come on—“drink me”? That’s in the textbook definition of “gullible.” But if we’re being honest, is taking a supplement you bought at the drug store any smarter?

Yes, You Can Take Too Many Vitamins

So, can you overdo it on supplements? Can you take too many? Yes. Too much of a good thing — in this case, certain vitamin and mineral supplements — can be toxic and cause a host of side effects.