Side Effects Of Popular Supplements Everyone Should Know About

Ishani Karmakar
12 October, 2022
2 mins ago

Supplements are sold over-the-counter as readily as food, but that doesn't mean they're safe to eat. Just like you can pick up a bag of broccoli or a jar of tomato sauce at the supermarket, you can pick up any number of different vitamins, botanicals, and probiotics there.

As health aids, these items deserve the same respect as OTC pharmaceuticals. We are aware of the need for caution when taking pain relievers like aspirin and Motrin. Nutritional supplements need to be considered in the same way. Here are five common supplement side effects you should be aware of:

Vitamin D

Even though it's one of the most sought-after vitamins, getting too much vitamin D might make you sick. Hypervitaminosis D, or vitamin D poisoning, is an uncommon but potentially fatal illness caused by an overabundance of vitamin D in the body.

Vitamin D toxicity is typically induced by excessive amounts of vitamin D pills rather than getting enough through food or the sun. This is because your body controls how much vitamin D you make in response to sunlight, and even fortified meals don't contain excessive nutrient levels. An excess of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) is the most apparent symptom of vitamin D poisoning, vomiting, weakness, and increased urination. Bone discomfort and renal issues, such as calcium stones, might develop from vitamin D toxicity.

Iron

Experts warn that ingesting excessive quantities of iron can have devastating consequences. Iron may be stored in the body because it dissolves in fat. When you consume more calories than your body needs, the surplus is stored in your liver, tissues, and other organs. Overdosing on iron supplements can cause rapid and severe organ damage, so it's crucial to get help right away if it happens to you. It is safer to receive the iron you need through food than supplements since toxicity typically arises with excessive supplement usage.

Supplemental Vitamins A, E

Researchers advise caution while taking vitamins A and E. There may be an increased mortality risk associated with using vitamin E supplements regularly, according to a 2012 Cochrane Database analysis. In the same meta-analysis, researchers discovered that taking a very high vitamin A dosage was similarly linked to elevated mortality risk.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can create difficulties if taken in excess, especially when combined with other medications. Vitamin C can produce stomach distress when taken in large quantities. Concerns have also been raised that high-dose vitamin C supplementation might counteract the effects of blood-thinning or cholesterol-lowering drugs.