How many mgs can your body take?

Answer 1

Although usually thought of as benign and often as if they are as safe as candy, vitamins can actually do you a great deal of harm if taken in the wrong doses. And not all excess doses of vitamins taken are flushed out of your system through your urine when not needed; some are stored in your body and can build up to toxic levels. That is why it is important to take them in appropriate doses as instructed by your doctor or as indicated on the package or label directions for use.

For example, Vitamin C can interact with Diabetes medication and make it less effective. If taken in high doses with aspirin it can lead to ulcers from irritation by the acids. If you take too much when pregnant you can cause the baby to develop scurvy when they suddenly aren't getting the same massive amount of Vitamin C after birth.

Taking Vitamin B2 in a dose over 50 mg a day for a long period of time can cause cataracts and blindness. Vitamin B3 (niacin) which doctors actually say to use for cholesterol, when taken in doses over 500 mg a day, can cause liver damage. It also raises the blood sugar which is dangerous to diabetics.

MSM is a supplement made from sulfur that many people with Arthritis or joint pain take. In the long run it seems to be completely harmless but if you start it in a high dose you can hurt yourself by detoxifying your body too quickly. You should gradually build up to the proper dose for your body and your needs.

Spirulina is an algae that is made into a whole food supplement and put in many "green foods" because of its high protein. But people with a certain metabolic disorder shouldn't take it since it can cause brain damage in them.

Bromelain is found in pineapple and is a great aid in digestion, but it can cause severe heart palpitations in some people when taken in supplement form.

These are just a few of the potential toxic effects and concerns with using vitamin supplements. Every vitamin and supplement is created to be a very intense, very strong dose of something. Not everyone's body can handle them and it is best to know what you are taking before you take it. For anything you take, do the research on all the listed vitamins in it and make sure you are taking the proper supplements for your needs. You may be taking vitamins that you don't even need or are harmful to your particular body. If nothing else, incorrect high doses can make your urine very expensive if you eliminate them as excesses rather than properly absorb them in correct doses.

Figure out what your needs are and then try to get them in the right dosages. If you are starting to get stomach upset, feel sick, or just feel like you are loading your body down with vitamins, try to ease up and find the ones that are helping you the best and drop the rest. Consult your pharmacist when buying the supplements for any precautions you should take with their use.

But, unless you have a specific health problem or are worried about developing a specific health problem because of genetics, dietary restrictions, digestive system disease, or another reason, you should probably stick with a well-formulated multivitamin supplement for daily use. Or consider learning better dietary habits to obtain all nutrients you need from eating a properly balanced diet. Taking vitamins just to be taking them because someone else does, or because TV and magazine adds tell you to, is unnecessarily taxing to the body and can be even more unsafe.