Which Vitamins Are You Overdosing On?

Nowadays, health is a pill away, or so we think. It’s easy to assume that we can alter our bodies and reverse our deficiencies by consuming vitamins, but we might be in for a surprise – eating vitamins can be dangerous when consumed in unsafe amounts, and it’s easy to go take too much of the wrong vitamins. The key to staying safe is understanding the two major differences between vitamins and how not to go overboard.

Knowing the difference between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins is pinnacle for consuming vitamins safely. It may sound like garbled nonsensical jargon, but there’s actually a difference between vitamins, as they are absorbed and excreted from the body in different ways and rates.

Water-soluble vitamins are the least worrisome in terms of overdosing, as they are easy to digest and easy to pass into the tissue for absorption. Water-soluble vitamins that aren’t used by the body are simply excreted through the urine, which is a double-edged sword, these vitamins rarely build up in the body to toxic levels, but that means you have to consume water-soluble vitamins regularly. Key water-soluble vitamins are B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B4 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid or folate), B12 (cobalamin), and C (ascorbic acid). The one vitamin to be concerned over is vitamin C which, when consumed in excess, can cause gastrointestinal stress.

Fat-soluble vitamins don’t easily get used, once ingested they need to be absorbed by a fat globule to travel into the small intestines and later distributed throughout the bloodstream. Since they need a carrier globule for proper absorption, it is best to eat these vitamins with some fat. These vitamins can be dangerous because unused fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and any fatty adipose tissue, meaning excess fat-soluble vitamins build up in your system, leading to easy overdosing. Vitamins like A, D, E, and K are essential for many bodily functions but need to be consumed with prudence and caution.

So it is easy to overdose on fat-soluble vitamins but very hard to overdose on water-soluble vitamins. Know that most people’s diets aren’t specifically deficient, so be careful and consult your doctor to confirm you need to start a vitamin regime.