Mr. Chen, 53 years old, is usually under a lot of work pressure, so in order to improve his immunity, he started to consume multivitamins. However, after taking it for a week, he found that the effect was not as obvious as he expected.
So without consulting a doctor, he took the dose without authorization. Originally, it was one a day, but he increased it to eight a day.
As a result, in less than half a month, Mr. Chen was diagnosed with drug-induced hepatitis in the hospital, and if it was more serious, it would reach the point of liver failure. After the doctor's diagnosis, it was found that it was the result of Mr. Chen's vitamin abuse.
Some people may have such a question, vitamins are considered a kind of nutrition, eating too much should be beneficial to the body, even if it is useless to the body, it cannot have harmful effects.
In fact, this is a typical misconception of supplementing nutrients, and the focus of taking medicinal foods as a supplement is what you lack to make up for what you lack. For example, some people don't need to supplement at all. It also needs to be taken under the guidance of a professional doctor.
If you take too much vitamin without authorization, the overdose can pose a threat to your health. It can even lead to an increase in the rate of cancer!
In fact, whether vitamins cause cancer or cure cancer, the most important thing depends on how you eat.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States published an article in the journal Science, saying that when they analyzed the effects of vitamin C, they found that this nutrient acts as a catalyst that can damage DNA and lead to the production of toxic substances.
Dr. Tian Xin from the Department of Oncology of Beijing Grade 3A Hospital also said that if vitamin B3 is not properly supplemented, it will cause the risk of triple negative breast cancer and may also lead to the spread of cancer.
There are also studies that show that excessive vitamin A supplementation can increase the burden on the liver and lead to an increased risk of lung cancer.
Who needs vitamin supplements?
1. People who have an unbalanced diet on weekdays.
has led to vitamin deficiencies, which are reflected in the body. For example, when your eyes are not very good, you need to supplement some carotene or lutein under the guidance of a doctor.
If your lips are dry and flaky, you can take some vitamin A supplements.
2. People with chronic disease risk diseases.
If you have cardiovascular problems, you may need to take some CoQ10, but under the guidance of a medical professional, not all people with cardiovascular diseases take CoQ10 effectively.
3. People who are trying to get pregnant or pregnant.
We all know that pregnant women should properly supplement some folic acid, which can prevent congenital malformations of the fetus.
However, it is important to pay attention to the appropriate amount, if you supplement too much folic acid, it may lead to stunted fetal growth and low body weight. Or supplement some calcium tablets to meet the development of fetal bones.
There is a documentary called "The Truth of Vitamins" abroad, which mentions: Those who take multivitamins have no obvious effect, it may make your urine more expensive than before.
Of course, there are some vitamins that can be harmful to the body when taken in excess.
Which vitamins are at risk of overdose?
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, mostly found in liver oil, egg yolks, and the livers of animals. It has the functions of promoting bone development, maintaining visual health, and enhancing immunity.
There is also a basic requirement for vitamin A intake, which is 700 micrograms per day for women and 800 micrograms per day for men.
We all know that carrots are also a major way to supplement vitamin A, but they can be better absorbed when oil is used as a medium, so there is a reason that carrots should be eaten with oil.
Moderate intake is beneficial to the body, but taking large amounts can also have side effects.
For example, if a pregnant woman consumes a large amount of vitamins during pregnancy, it may harm the fetus in the womb, and the fetus is developing, which may harm his bone marrow or other growing tissues.
In addition to this, if taken in excess, it may lead to liver abnormalities, loss of bone minerals, and risk of osteoporosis. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you overdose, you will be poisoned. If it is chronically poisoned, there may be loss of appetite, deterioration of skin, and dull hair.
If a liver function test is done, aminotransferases will be elevated. In severe cases, it can cause acute poisoning, nausea and vomiting, and blurred vision. In infants and young children, high intracranial pressure is the main feature.
The application of vitamin A is generally detected for deficiency, anemia, night blindness, dry eyes, etc., but this is only the application of vitamin A, not that such a situation must be vitamin A deficiency, it is best to go to the hospital for a detailed examination before supplementing.
2. Vitamin C
For our daily diet, eating more vegetables and fruits every day can meet our daily needs for vitamin C content. In general, there is no need to take additional vitamins for supplementation.
Some people believe that eating vitamin C can improve immunity, and some people believe that eating more vitamin C can whiten and be good for the skin. However, we must pay attention to the fact that vitamin C must be supplemented scientifically to avoid excessive amount.
If you take too much vitamin C, you may experience stomach discomfort such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and indigestion. It may also cause hemolytic anemia, causing fatigue and weakness.
It is important to note that it is very likely to cause kidney stones, as taking too much vitamin C can lead to the accumulation of calcium oxalate in the kidneys.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D can maintain the body's calcium and phosphorus balance, regulate immunity, and can also regulate the function of the cardiovascular system, preventing hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
It was mentioned in the documentary "The Truth About Vitamins" that vitamin D not only plays an important role in bone development, but also plays an important role in brain development.
Our skin can also do things that our bodies can't, like produce vitamin D.
Vitamin D will be produced when the skin is directly exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays, so there is some truth in saying that more sun exposure can supplement calcium.
However, if you consume too much vitamin D, you will experience decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting. It can also lead to diseases such as kidney stones. Vitamin D poisoning can lead to death.
Therefore, vitamin D supplementation should be reasonable, and it is necessary to ensure sufficient sunshine time and reasonable diet every day.
epilogue
Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of our organism. But vitamins from natural sources are better than the form in which we eat various pill capsules, so it is still necessary to eat well.
If a certain vitamin deficiency has been confirmed, it should also be taken in moderation under the guidance of a doctor. And it's also a long-term process, so don't increase the dose because it doesn't work in the short term!