10/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2024 13:30
People often worry that they aren't getting all the vitamins they need from food. Parents and caregivers often think that by giving children vitamins, they can ensure kids are getting the nutrients they need. About athirdof kids between 2 and 5 years old take a multivitamin each day. And it's not just kids - adults often turn to vitamins to help round out their diet or improve their health. More thanhalf of all adults in the U.S.report taking some kind of vitamin in the past month.
But vitamins can come with risks. It's possible to overdose on vitamins. And some vitamin overdoses can lead to serious health complications. Many children (and even adults) prefer gummy vitamins because of their texture and taste. But it can be easy to overdose on these colorful, fruity-flavored jellies.
If you have vitamins - especially gummy ones - at home, here's what you need to know about vitamin overdoses.
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Can you overdose on vitamins?
Adults and children can overdose on vitamins, but only certain vitamins and minerals cause serious health issues when taken in excess.
Kids are more likely tooverdose on vitaminsthan adults. Children younger than 6 years account for the majority of vitamin overdose cases in the U.S. These overdoses are usually accidental and happen when an adult isn't around.
According to the National Poison Data System (NPDS),vitamins are amongthe top-five causes of accidental ingestions in children. Studies show thatabout 4,600kids go to the emergency room every year for vitamin overdoses.
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Which vitamins can you overdose on?
It's possible to overdose on all vitamins. An "overdose" means that someone has exceededrecommended daily allowances(RDAs) of a vitamin or mineral.
Most multivitamins contain the RDA (or close to it) of each vitamin and mineral. So, if you take more than the serving size (usually one vitamin), you can overdose on all the vitamins that make up your multivitamin. So it's possible to have multiple vitamin overdoses from taking a single pill.
Some vitamin overdoses are more dangerous than others. These particular vitamins in the following chart can be dangerous for adults and children. Let's take a closer look at what they do in the body and what an overdose might look like.
Vitamin / mineral
|
What it does in the body
|
Standard dose
|
Signs of overdose
|
Vitamin A
|
Vitamin A helps maintain:
|
Dosage will vary. Depends on:
|
|
Vitamin D
|
Vitamin D helps with:
|
Adults:Up to 600 IU up to age 70
Children:400 to 600 IU depending on age |
|
Vitamin C
|
Vitamin C is needed for:
|
Standard doses:
Men:90 mg per day Women:75 mg per day Pregnant:85 mg per day Breastfeeding:120 mg per day Children:15 mg to 75 mg a day depending on age |
|
Iron
|
Iron is needed to make:
|
Iron dosage varies by life stage, gender, and age.
Nonmenstruating teens:11 mg per day Menstruating teens:18 mg per day Nonmenstruating adults:8 mg per day Menstruating adults:15 mg to 18 mg per day Pregnant adults:27 mg per day Lactating adults:10 mg per day Children:40 mg per day |
|
Calcium
|
Calcium is required for almost every bodily function, including:
|
Calcium is best absorbed at doses less than 500 mg.
Aim for 500 mg (or less) twice a day. |
|
What are the symptoms of a vitamin overdose?
The symptoms of a vitamin overdose depend on the vitamin and the amount taken. Some vitamin overdoses start off with mild symptoms like stomach upset and vomiting, and then progress into more serious symptoms. Other vitamin overdoses cause very few or no symptoms.
If you think you or a family member has overdosed on vitamins, don't rely on symptoms to make a decision. Symptoms may become serious very quickly. It's safest to get help right away.
What to do if you took too many vitamins
If you or your child just ate a bunch of vitamins - whether gummies or another kind of vitamin - what should you do? First, call your local poison control center orPoison Controlat1-800-222-1222. They can let you know if you should go to an emergency room for immediate care.
If you or your child took vitamins without iron and vitamin A, you might be able to remain at home. But you shouldn't make this decision on your own, since certain vitamin overdoses can be life-threatening, especially in young children.
Care at home If Poison Control says you or your child can remain at home, you should be on the lookout for vitamin overdose symptoms. These can include:
Your child probably won't want to eat while having these symptoms. But it's important to make sure your child stays hydrated, so encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. You may want to use oral electrolyte solutions.
If your child is showing signs of dehydration, call a healthcare professional immediately. In kids, this might include:
Care in the emergency room If Poison Control recommends getting immediate care, go to your nearest emergency room. You may need:
How many vitamins should you take?
You should always take the recommended amount of vitamins suggested on the supplement bottle, usually 1 to 2 a day. If you take more than that in 1 day, you've taken too many.
Experts from theFood and Nutrition Boardat the Institute of Medicine have developed guidelines that cover how much of each vitamin a person needs each day.
These guidelines include:
Your vitamins shouldn't exceed the RDA for any single vitamin or mineral. It's also important to keep your diet in mind as you choose vitamins. It's possible to exceed your upper intake limit from your dietary intake plus your vitamins.
Vitamin and iron guidelines for children younger than 1 year
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies receive a vitamin K injection at birth. But if your baby didn't receive avitamin K shot, a healthcare professional may recommend oral vitamin K supplements.
Otherwise, young children don't typically need vitamins. However, infants who are bornprematurelyusually need daily iron supplements. And the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendsdaily vitamin D supplementsfor nursing infants. Infants who are exclusively nursing may also need iron supplements after 4 months of age until they're eating iron-fortified foods several times a day. Infants who takeinfant formuladon't usually need any extra vitamins.
Frequently asked questions
Which two vitamins pose the greatest risk of toxicity?expand_more Fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E, and K) don't get flushed out in the urine, so they're the most likely to cause vitamin toxicity. Vitamins A and E may pose thegreatest riskof toxicity, since they are so commonly taken and readily available. But any vitamin or mineral can be toxic when taken at too high a dose or taken too frequently.
Do you pee out excess vitamins?expand_more
What vitamins clash with each other?expand_more