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Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning

Veronica Morao
6 min de lectura
Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health
Vitamins that can cause poisoning

A reasonable diet provides us with the essential amounts of nutrients, since they are found in most foods, especially those of plant origin.

Nutrients being regular substances that people do not synthesize, they must be taken from external sources. Normally 13 nutrients are required.

Mainly those soluble in water are needed, which are made up of group C and group B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12). Then there are the insoluble ones in water, formed by A, E, K and D.

An important exception is the nutrient B12, which is available in varieties of foods of animal origin. This nutrient should be purchased as a nutritional supplement in vegetarian diets.

Lack of vitamins (hypovitaminosis) is the reason for different infections.

However, hypovitaminosis-related pathologies are rare, as the daily vitamin requirements are negligible (in the request from micrograms to milligrams).

Vitamin deficiency disease

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

The Frenchman, Jacques Cartier, was the one who discovered scurvy in certain members of his Indian crew in Canada. This was the main infection known to be subject to nutritional factors.

The Scottish doctor, James Lind, later published a composition on scurvy and proposed the use of lime juice for its treatment.

At present, it is known that this pathology is due to a deficiency of vitamin C, also called ascorbic corrosive (Anti-scurvy). For that reason, such treatments were suggested.

The research of nutrients and their work in the prevention of specific diseases has been the best achievement in biomedical research on food.

There are different infections directly related to nutrient insufficiency. Some of them are:

  • Beriberi: lack of vitamin B1

  • Pellagra: lack of vitamin B2

  • Anemia: lack of vitamin B9 or vitamin B12

  • Xerophthalemia: lack of vitamin A (main cause of visual impairment).

  • Osteomalacia in adults or rickets in young people : both are due to lack of vitamin D.

Vitamin overdose

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

Many people unpredictably use a large amount of vitamins and vitamin complexes without a medical order, due to their beneficial effects on health.

Nutrients are natural dynamic substances that intensify and play different roles in our body. Therefore, the danger of consuming them incorrectly is not exempt.

The substances act in a specific focus and what could be advantageous in physiological concentration, could be poisonous in higher fixations.

Some reasons an advantageous compound can be detrimental when used in abundance.

1. The unused bioactive principle can accumulate in specific tissues. That is, lipophilic substances accumulate in the liver and fat tissue, and hydrophilic substances are stored in certain organs such as the liver and kidneys, causing detrimental long-term impacts on health.

2. It is conceivable that the abundance of bioactive compounds is used for poisonous substances. This is particularly significant for substances that accumulate in the liver, being the "chemical factory" of our body.

3. The overabundance of bioactive compounds can interact with different substances present in our way of life. It is notable that some nutrients interact with certain medications, reducing their action, which can be negative for our well-being.

Therefore, bioactive substances should always be consumed in the indicated portions.

Vitamin A

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

Now is when the symptoms of water-soluble nutrients begin to be known, since they are generally excreted effectively, even due to hypervitaminosis (for certain special cases). Unexpectedly, excess fat-soluble nutrients has more serious pernicious effects.

Vitamin A is available in many vegetables and fruits provided a decent eating routine is followed, supplementation is not required.

According to the physiological perspective, its main capacity is in the cycle of vision. It is also known to be an energizer for the immune system.

In most cases, the lack of vitamin A arises in chronic diseases.

It manifests itself in certain side effects related to vision problems, diseases of the skin, mucous layers and the respiratory system.

By consuming excessively vitamin A, specific ailments and diseases persist such as: nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyes), bone problems, headache, peeling of the skin, fatigue, shedding of the skin and an increase in the lymphatic center.

Vitamin D

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

It is often called a vitamin when it is actually a hormone. In the nutritional routine we consume antecedents of nutrients D, which through photochemical reactions, are transformed into this when entering our organism.

This is the reason why sunbathing is recommended to maintain good vitamin D levels.

Today, it is normal to find that the amount of nutrient D is lower than due, through blood tests.

This insufficiency can be caused by two variables: poor exposure to sunlight or a decrease in cholesterol levels (due to diet or medication).

Lack of vitamin D has negative results on our well-being. One of them is that it can cause weakening of the bones or osteomalacia, in adults and rickets in children.

In pregnancy, lactation and in people with problems in the metabolic pathway of nutrient D, there is a much greater need for vitamin D.

Following the instructions of the specialists is extremely important in these cases, since it is a hormone and if there is a possible imbalance, it would alter the system, generating serious health consequences.

Evolution of hypervitaminosis D

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

In recent analyzes, intoxications caused by hypervitaminosis D have been analyzed, which shows a worrying evolution for 10 years.

Vitamin D causes a high level of concentration of calcium ions in the plasma, which causes volatility in the central, somatic and autonomic nervous systems. It has also been linked to mental procrastination.

This excess also causes migraine, diarrhea, growth retardation (which can be reversed with medicine), problems in organs such as: lung, blood vessels, skin, heart and kidneys.

Excess vitamin causes irreversible impacts on the development of calcitone. This hormone is what controls the way the body uses calcium.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Excess consumption of vitamins can cause poisoning – Wellness and Health

The work of the vitamin E is important in humans as it is responsible for blood clotting. Its main action is to act as an antioxidant.

There are still no results on the impacts caused by its insufficiency on people.

However, hypervitaminosis E does not have any detrimental effects. Therefore, it is also used as a substance added to food.

As for its harmfulness due to excessive intake, type K1 can cause some mild impacts. Some of them are: temporary facial redness, dyspnea, which can cause death.

While, the excess of vitamin K2, can cause problems: liver, kernicterus (a type of cerebral palsy in babies), jaundice, hemolytic problems in children and damage to the mucous membranes. This nutrient K, due to its chemical properties, helps to hamper antioxidants.

It is vital not to ingest vitamins without a medical prescription, since some type of anomaly can be observed. Therefore, you must follow the instructions of the specialists.

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