Recommended dietary intakes Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, which means they can be stored in the body. Taking high doses of these vitamins, especially vitamin A, over a long period of time can lead to harmful levels in the body, unless you have a medically diagnosed deficiency. Healthy or risky? Here's what you need to know about the possible harmful effects before taking that vitamin, mineral or herbal pill. Multivitamins are generally safe as long as they provide nutrient levels that fall within DRI guidelines.
Some people experience gut-related side effects when they start taking a multivitamin, but they usually resolve quickly. Like many supplements, multivitamins are not strictly regulated and may contain much higher nutrient levels than the label says. The risk of hip fracture was shown to be 1.18 times higher in vitamin A supplement users compared to non-users (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.4), but there was no greater risk of fractures among users of vitamin A supplements. When it comes to supplements, there is so much enthusiasm about their benefits potential that it can be difficult to separate reality from fiction.
Most people who take supplements probably don't expect to live longer, but expect more immediate results, Kumar suggested. A study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the adverse effects of supplements were responsible for an average of approximately 23,000 emergency department (ED) visits per year. In general, there is no solid evidence to suggest the use of vitamin E as a regular supplement for healthy people. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is not authorized to review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.
Those supplements were associated with 62 percent higher rates of cancer death than those below that dose, but only when the source was a supplement. While these results raise some concerns about calcium supplements, Zhang and his co-authors use the data to make a broader point about vitamins and minerals. An important point noted in some studies is that vitamin C intake from food does not show the harmful effects seen with vitamin C intake from supplements. Healthcare providers may also neglect to ask patients about using natural or over-the-counter dietary supplements.
However, people who combine multivitamins with other supplements or consume significant amounts of fortified foods may exceed the UL for certain nutrients. Dietary supplements do not prolong life and, in fact, could shorten it if taken at high levels, researchers reported Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Millstine, noting that research shows that calcium is better absorbed through food than through supplements. Supplemental vitamin D is popular because it is difficult (if not impossible) to get enough from food.
