Doctors are sounding the alarm about the risks of some supplements that may be lurking in your medicine cabinet.
Vitamin A, vitamin B3, and vitamin E, also known as niacin, are dangerous in large doses and can cause nausea, bone pain, and even internal bleeding.
A balanced diet contains small amounts of all of these nutrients. Vitamin A is found in green and yellow vegetables, milk, and eggs, vitamin B3 is mainly found in red meat, and vitamin E is found in seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
However, experts warn that some supplement products contain large amounts of these nutrients, making it easier to overdose than you think.
Certain supplements can have unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects, such as thinning the blood, which is associated with an increased risk of bleeding.
A report in Discover co-authored by Texas-based internist Dr. Ahmad Talha Azam highlights that the three vitamins listed above are potentially harmful due to the risk of overdosing.
“Some people take it.” [vitamins and supplements] That’s because we automatically assume that vitamins and supplements only have positive health effects, but we know very little about how they actually work,” says Missouri, who researches supplements. says university chemistry professor Elena Goun.
Niacin, or vitamin B3, is a popular supplement recommended for high cholesterol, arthritis, and brain function.
The recommended daily amount of niacin is 16 mg for men, 14 mg for women, and 18 mg for pregnant women.
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, niacin was once recommended for people at risk of developing heart disease.
However, a series of studies found that niacin does not actually reduce the risk of developing heart disease or stroke or increase lifespan, and is associated with negative side effects such as diarrhea and skin flushing. .
Other forms of vitamin B3, such as nicotinamide riboside, a popular anti-aging supplement, have been linked to an increased risk of brain tumors.
According to Harvard University, consuming more than 35 milligrams (mg) per day is likely to have harmful effects, especially if taken over a long period of time. Side effects include itching, skin redness, dizziness, nausea, upset stomach, and fatigue.
Supplements available online pack as much as 50mg per day.
Symptoms of niacin overdose include dizziness, nausea, and fatigue
Vitamin A is a recommended supplement for eye health and immune system support.
The FDA recommends about 900 micrograms of vitamin A per day for men and 700 micrograms for women. Ingestion of more than 3000 micrograms per day may pose a risk of toxicity.
DailyMail.com found several products containing up to 7,500 micrograms per pill.
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Vitamin A toxicity may be more common than vitamin A deficiency in the United States due to the high doses of preformed vitamin A (retinol) found in some supplements.” It has a certain gender.”
Too much vitamin A can cause bone pain, nausea, vomiting, dry skin, blurred vision, and sensitivity to bright light.
In the long term, researchers note that intake of vitamin A and similar forms such as beta-carotene is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, especially if you were a former smoker.
Many types of supplements contain amounts that far exceed the recommended daily intake, which experts say can increase the risk of consuming too many nutrients.
Vitamin E is a supplement that can be expected to have the effect of increasing immunity. It is naturally found in nuts such as peanuts and almonds, seeds, and some fruits such as mango and kiwi.
The NIH recommends that adult men and women consume 15 mg of vitamin E per day through diet or supplements.
Ingesting more than 1,000 milligrams of the nutrient can put you at risk for developing vitamin E toxicity, which can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness, diarrhea, and nausea.
According to Merck, a more common risk of taking vitamin E is the fact that vitamin E acts like a blood thinner. Therefore, if you are injured while taking this medication, you may experience much more internal or external bleeding than would occur naturally.
Taking too much vitamin E can increase your risk of internal bleeding and cause unpleasant side effects such as diarrhea.
In rare cases, the NIH reports that vitamin E has caused life-threatening bleeding, including worsening the after-effects of stroke. One study from Harvard Medical School reported that taking vitamin E increased the chance of bleeding by 22 percent.
Besides these three particularly dangerous supplements, there are others to watch out for in this area, including multivitamins.
According to the NIH, these products may contain “significantly higher amounts of some vitamins and minerals” than the daily recommended amount, and may even reach dangerous levels.
Some supplements may interact with prescription medications.
For example, taking the herbal supplement St. John’s wort can make your birth control ineffective. Therefore, experts recommend consulting your doctor before starting a new supplement plan.
With all this in mind, nutritionists recommend getting your nutrients from a balanced diet whenever possible.
