The consumption of a daily
multivitamin among people all over the world is dramatically increasing in
recent years. Most of the people believe that even if vitamins are not
effective, at least they are safe. In
spite of various researches in cellular biologic function of vitamins and interesting
messages about their roles on health, the long-term health consequences of
vitamins consumption are unknown. Convincing advertisements in addition to easy availability result in high
prevalence of their consumption among people.
The latest
example of how too much of a good thing might have negative consequences comes
from a Swedish study of vitamin C supplements and risk of kidney
stones in men. Researchers found that those who took extra vitamin C were almost twice as
likely to develop the painful stones, with the risk greatest among men taking
the pills more than once a day. The findings make sense, because your body may
turn excess vitamin C
(ascorbic acid) into oxalate. The most common type of kidney stones are
calcium-oxalate stones, and people at risk for these stones are advised to
limit foods containing oxalate.
Pregnant
women need to be especially careful with their vitamin A intake, as excess
amounts have been linked to birth defects. Its excessive intake can have
deleterious effects on bone via induction of osteoporosis. Some studies have
shown elevated risk of fracture in hip.
Although
vitamin C is a well-known with its potent antioxidant capabilities, it has been
shown that it can have pro-oxidant effects and can cause damage by stimulating
lipid peroxidation. One important point observed in some studies is
that, vitamin C intake from food does not show the deleterious effects as seen with
vitamin C intake from supplements
Vitamin E
is a lipid-soluble vitamin and a major component in the cell antioxidant
defense system. It is exclusively obtained from the diet. However,
several studies could not find significant effectiveness of vitamin E on
prevention of cancer, reduction in cardiovascular diseases, and
overall mortality reduction.
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. It is always better to get
your nutrients from
food as it contains thousands of phytochemical, fiber, and more that work
together to promote good health that cannot be duplicated with a pill or a
cocktail of supplements.
References:
Hamishehkar,
H., Ranjdoost, F., Asgharian, P., Mahmoodpoor, A., & Sanaie, S. (2016).
Vitamins, Are They Safe? Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 6(4),
467–477. http://doi.org/10.15171/apb.2016.061
High-Dose
Vitamin C Pills Could Double Kidney-Stone Risk. (2013). Tufts
University Health & Nutrition Letter, 31(3), 7.
It definitely raises some concerns when people consume an excess amount of vitamins through pharmaceutical supplementation. As you have mentioned, consuming vitamins in excess can be detrimental to one's health. While I was not previously familiar with the long term harm that these vitamins could cause, I am aware that excessive vitamin C consumption can result in more immediate gastrointetinal side effects, like diarrhea and nausea. If there are any, perhaps the immediate side effects of consuming vitamins E, A, and D excessively should be addressed more often by those in health care and the pharmaceutical industry.
ReplyDeleteLet's take a look at the consumer's perspective for a brief moment. Are we so sure that they are being provided with the right information to be consuming vitamin supplements responsibly? Certainly there are nutrition information labels on the packaging that state the daily alloted servings per day. Should we place blame on the companies that produce these products for not instructing the consumer more explicitly to follow the nutrition guidelines or should we blame the consumer who, at the end of the day, has the autonomy to make decisions on their own dietary habits? In any case, further regulatory action needs to be done to prevent further potential long term harm of consumers, especially those who have no other choice but to receive their vitamins through pharmaceutical supplementation.
I have been taking B-Vitamin supplements for the past several months, and I thought I was experiencing benefits like increased energy and improved focus. It just so happens that I started taking B vitamins at the same time that I cut all caffeine out of my diet. I realized this so I stopped taking B-Vitamins and I didn't feel any difference.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that I was interested in your post because it covers the idea that vitamin supplements are not as important as the ad campaigns lead consumers to believe, and that any benefits are negligible.
Perhaps if people want to achieve the same benefits as vitamin supplements, they need to look at their own habits and make positive changes instead of looking to pharmaceuticals.