PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: Can you overdose on vitamins?
Q: I worry that people are overdosing on vitamins. They’re putting vitamins everywhere. My medical book (20 years old) says you could go a year without any vitamin A and four months without any vitamin B-12 or D. If you keep consuming these vitamins, don’t they build up to toxic levels?
A: It is possible to overdose on vitamins if you are taking high-dose supplements or drinking and eating fortified foods and beverages. But we are concerned about a growing epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. Studies demonstrate that many children and adults are low in this crucial nutrient. Vitamin B-12 also may be in short supply for older people and those taking acid-suppressing drugs to control heartburn.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. They can be reached at peoplespharmacy@gmail.com.
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3 comments Add your comment
sb
September 3rd, 2009
9:00 am
If the Vitamins don’t kill us! the Govt. will do their best by Taxing us to Death.
Sandie
September 12th, 2009
2:19 pm
My question is: I take a daily multivitamin, if I don’t remember if I already took one after I ate, will it harm me, if I take another one on the same day? I do not take any medications. I eat three meals a day. Try to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
Thank you
Ralph Quinlan Forde
September 24th, 2009
6:48 pm
A distinction needs to be made between synthetic vitamins and natural ones StarGate Nutrition. THe natural ones will not harm you the chemicals will. Natural look like the earth brown the chemicals ones are white. http://www.stargatenutritionvitamin.com