April 26, 2024
Taking vitamins is often recommended. But can you also get too much of it? Dr. Jeanne de Vries talks about it.
Dr. Jeanne de Vries: “Nutritional supplements are popular. Nearly sixty percent of Dutch people take them, according to a recent food consumption survey. On the other hand, we see that people who need supplements, such as elderly people with vitamin D, often do not take them. Supplements give you the feeling that you are doing well and it is easier than eating healthier or making other behavioral changes. Yet taking vitamins and minerals is not always harmless.”
Also read: What happens if you have a deficiency of B vitamins?
Swallow me mate
“You can get too many vitamins. But as long as you eat normally, this does not happen quickly through food. Eating a lot of liver in particular can lead to an excess of vitamin A – the liver stores many vitamins – although this often occurs in combination with taking vitamin A supplements. Moreover, there are few people who eat so much liver. An excess of vitamins from supplements does not occur quickly, but it can be harmful. A well-known example is that of skater Sven Kramer, who suffered nerve damage in his leg due to too much vitamin B6.
An excess of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, can lead to toxic symptoms. Symptoms include headache, nausea and abnormalities of the eyes, skin and skeleton. Vitamin C is water soluble and you pee out the excess, but it can cause diarrhea. If it doesn’t help, it won’t hurt, so it doesn’t work. Do you still want to take extra vitamins? Then pay close attention to the ingredients. There are supplements that contain ten to a hundred times the recommended amount. That is often even allowed. The advice is therefore: never take the recommendation more than once.”
Exceptions
“If you are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, the first advice is to supplement this with food and eat according to the Wheel of Five. This is healthier and also cheaper than supplements. In addition to folic acid and vitamin C, foods such as vegetables and fruit also contain other nutrients, such as fiber. Sometimes taking supplements is necessary. For example, elderly people, pregnant women and small children need more vitamin D. Even as a vegetarian, and especially as a vegan, it is difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals from food. Do you eat meat substitutes? Then check whether sufficient vitamin B12 and iron has been added. Otherwise you can supplement this with supplements.”
You can find more information about taking supplements on Voedingscentrum.nl.
Dr. Jeanne de Vries is a food scientist at Wageningen University & Research.
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