Article Hive: Vitamin Pill Protection

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Pharmacies, supermarkets, and health food stores offer, without prescription, a tremendous range of vitamins and minerals in various combinations. Many people believe they need multi-vitamin supplements to provide extra energy, prevent colds, cope with stress, ensure a longer life, and protect themselves against cancer and other chronic diseases. Consumers often take dietary supplements to improve a food supply that is supposedly lacking in essential nutrients because of depleted soils and heavy food processing.

Some physicians prescribe large amounts of vitamins and minerals for the treatment of schizophrenics and mentally retarded or hyperactive children. Careful research, however, has not supported using large amounts of nutrient supplements for treating mental and behavioral disorders.

To be sure, some segments of the population have a higher risk of certain nutrient deficiencies. These consist of premature infants, low-calorie dieters, pregnant women, chain smokers, alcoholics, the elderly, and women on birth control pills. Some rare genetic disorders react to huge doses of a specific mineral or vitamin. Many who take supplements think that if little quantities of minerals and vitamins are considered good for them, then perhaps huge amounts must be better. Large does act more like drug medication, and really big doses of some vitamins and minerals produce dangerous toxic reactions.

The dangers of too much vitamin A, D, E, of K are widely known. Of these, vitamin D is considered as the most deadly, causing high blood calcium levels and possibly cardiovascular and kidney damage. Recently toxicity in vitamin A has appeared in young group taking it for skin disorders. Common symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dry scaly skin, chapped lips, blurred vision and dizziness, lack of appetite, and tenderness in joints and limbs. Daily dose of vitamin E are commonly taken for a variety of disorders such as sterility, heart disease, and aging. Problems resulting from large intakes of vitamin E include muscle weakness and fatigue, elevated serum triglycerides, hypertension, headaches, diarrhea, and increased blood-clotting time. Vitamins, which are water-soluble, were once thought to be safe because excess amounts are easily excreted in the urine. Yet some of them can be toxic.

Some take huge quantities of vitamin C daily to avoid colds, cancer, or heart disease. Even though a daily intake of less than 100mg of this vitamin is sufficient for body needs, some people take two to eight grams per day as “nutritional insurance.” Huge doses of the vitamin C may produce diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramps; destroy red blood cells; depress copper absorption; impair vitamin A use; promote kidney stone formation; and weaken the germ-killing activity of white blood cells.

Many companies promote natural vitamins as superior to synthetic ones. They claim that natural vitamins are more easily absorbed and lack the toxic effects of the synthetic. Whether natural or organic, vitamins not only prove more costly, but are themselves largely synthetic substances.

Clearly dietary supplements should be avoided since they usually have little or no value and often cause adverse reactions. Taking large doses of these vitamin and mineral chemicals that we need only in minute quantities is like treating yourself with drugs. One should use supplements only under the supervision of a physician. Wise food choices are essential for sound nutrition. Good nutrition comes neither by chance nor by indiscriminate use of dietary supplements. It results from suitable and appropriate options inside a large assortment of healthy and unrefined foods.

H.R said...:
November 1, 2010 at 3:04 PM
"Common symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dry scaly skin, chapped lips, blurred vision and dizziness, lack of appetite, and tenderness in joints and limbs."

!!!
I'm sure that Ihave these problems, but I've never figured out he cause. I've been wondering why I'm always tired. Now I know. Thanks for that.