I'm currently taking 7 different vitamins and minerals a day - it's becoming a bit of an obsession! can you ever have too many - Can too many actually be 'counter-productive' and even harmful?

i think i probably don't really need to take any, i eat well and goto the gym 3 - 4 times a week

what do you take?

yes, most of them are poisonous or toxic if you take too much.

I stopped taking vitamins as my doctor said I didn't need them, in fact I bet most people don't need to take them.

Like Cyclone said they can be realy bad for you as they build-up in your body.

Originally posted by Cyclone
yes, most of them are poisonous or toxic if you take too much.

:o well that puts my mind at rest then!

Only vitamins B and C are safe to take in large quantities as they are water soluble. If you have to much your body just gets rid of them in your urine.

Does anyone know what effects would too many vitamins would have ?

Look here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/vitamin_dangers.shtml) for more info on excessive doses of vitamins.

GazB

Originally posted by GazB
Look here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/vitamin_dangers.shtml) for more info on excessive doses of vitamins.

GazB

that's helpful

Originally posted by Longshanks
Only vitamins B and C are safe to take in large quantities as they are water soluble. If you have to much your body just gets rid of them in your urine.

vitamin C in excess can cause leaching of calcium from your bones.

And B6 is a dopamine agonist - sustained high doses can have some psychological side effects

Having said that, B6 and B12 are also required for normal nervous development. The B vitamins can be useful for dealing with PMS and also used to be suggested if you were on the contraceptive pill.

The Bs are also involved in energy metabolism.

It's highly unlikely you'd get dangerous levels of vitamins from taking suplements at the levels suggested by manufacturers.

Given that the way we grow, prepare and cook vegetables whacks a lot of the vitamins in them in to touch, I can't imagine any harm being done from taking supplements in the way recommended by the makers, provided that you're not taking umpteen versions of the same vitamin!

Joe

it's extremely easy to overdose on vit c. Many products come 'fortified' with vitamins, if you look at each one it may be 60% of the rda, and some vitamin tablets actually have upto 1000% rda of vit c. Add that together throughout the day and you can be consuming amounts that are 10 to 15 times the rda.

As a general rule if you are deficient in something you will naturally desire foods which contain it, eat a balanced diet and there is probably little reason to take supplements unless a doctor advises you too.

I was led to believe (by one of those science type people) that overdosing on vitamin C has no dangerous side effects, and is simply passed through your system if you don't need it. The only effect it might have is and upset stomach if the dose is very high??

I'm a bit worried if this person is wrong, after those six years at university... and working for the health service. :|

In another chronic copper deficiency / high Vitamin C example, a young boy was brought into my office

to investigate the reason why his leg bones were soft and becoming increasingly malformed. It turned

out that his father was giving him 2,000mg of Vitamin C per day, starting shortly after he was born, which

resulted in a severe, long-term copper deficiency. Reducing the Vitamin C to more reasonable levels,

and recommending some copper-rich foods for the boy normalized the problem

Normal amounts of Vitamin C increase bioavailability of average calcium levels, while very high intake

of ascorbic acid will eventually put extra demands on calcium stores (bone) to make up calcium loss,

which is also reflected in lower cellular levels of calcium. There are a lot of people whose copper and

zinc levels are excessively high, so Vitamin C becomes the ideal candidate because it is capable of

lowering both, however the large amounts needed can at the same time significantly reduce calcium

levels to the point of seriously accelerating bone loss.


much balanced information here (http://www.acu-cell.com/vitc.html) i only quoted portions which support what i'd said.

Originally posted by Bedhead
I'm currently taking 7 different vitamins and minerals a day - it's becoming a bit of an obsession! can you ever have too many - Can too many actually be 'counter-productive' and even harmful?

i think i probably don't really need to take any, i eat well and goto the gym 3 - 4 times a week

what do you take?
you just like putting small things in ur mouth mate!
if you eat properly and excerise, i doubt there is a need for vit/min. maybe supplements are ok if u r bulking up at gym.

stop popping em or u will start to rattle!:D

I don't think you need them even if you are bodybuilding, my mate does a lot of bodybuilding and all he takes extra (as far as I know) is protein and some kind of amino acid stuff, he does eat a lot more though so perhaps he gets all the vitamins he needs from the increased food intake ?

Originally posted by nick2
I don't think you need them even if you are bodybuilding, my mate does a lot of bodybuilding and all he takes extra (as far as I know) is protein and some kind of amino acid stuff, he does eat a lot more though so perhaps he gets all the vitamins he needs from the increased food intake ?

yea i used to take protein whey when hitting heavy weights but stopped as i do more cardio vasular stuff now

If you eat sensibly there is no need to take any at all!!!!!!

most vitamins and minerals we need arnt in the food any more because of the way its grown. And your also ment to eat fruit straight from a tree because it is still "alive" also fruit is digested in teh intestines so its not good to eat it after a meal and you only get benefits from fruit if you have it on an empty stomach.

Originally posted by f_g
most vitamins and minerals we need arnt in the food any more because of the way its grown. And your also ment to eat fruit straight from a tree because it is still "alive" also fruit is digested in teh intestines so its not good to eat it after a meal and you only get benefits from fruit if you have it on an empty stomach.

ahh now that really is interesting if it's true ...... i always eat fruit after i've eaten something but that would change ....

fruit is alive for a long time after it came of the tree.
It best be because 12 months later it's expected to potentially grow into a new tree, which won't work if it's dead.

The vitamin and mineral content is affected by the way we cook things, not by the way we grow them. The reason the fruit/veg contains it is because it's essential to it's health, they extract them from the soil, the air, the water and some they make from more basic chemicals.

Don't know about the digestion bit, any evidence to support it?

I read in Metro that picking your nose and eating the result is good for your imume system as you are eating the germs trapped in the bogies.

I know thats nothing to do with the thread topic, but it is interesting if it's true.

The vitamin and mineral content is affected by the way we cook things, not by the way we grow them. The reason the fruit/veg contains it is because it's essential to it's health, they extract them from the soil, the air, the water and some they make from more basic chemicals.

most vitamins are no longer in the soil to start with so they are not found in the food.

when you cook food you are in most cases killing the vitamins, a when you boil things or the goodness goes into the water.

Also when you eat protein and carbs together your body cant digest it well because one needs acid and the other needs alkaline to digest which is why some people have large guts which can easily be gotten rid of

just searched and found this http://www.saisamachar.com/saipranaam/apr-2002/apr-health.asp (http://http://www.saisamachar.com/saipranaam/apr-2002/apr-health.asp)

interesting, given that your body is as far as I remember from biology incapable of producing alkali.
most digestion takes place through the use of enzymes and there is nothing to stop the body digesting a meal that is made up of several different constituents.
Digestion does take place at different places in the digestive tract for carbs, protein and fat, but that's not a problem.

You can't 'kill' vitamins, they aren't alive. You can denature their proteins (if they are proteins) or otherwise chemically alter them by cooking, but I wouldn't think that heat alone is enough to damage most of them. Boiling is however the one thing you are correct about. It leaches the vitamins out of the food and in the water. So, use it to make your gravy.

And your link doesn't work.

This one does though and explains digestion (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/#2)

hi - i am researching the effects of taking lots of different vitamins. it would be great to hear from someone who takes various vitamins at the moment, or used to take lots of vitamins, but has now stopped, for whatever reason.

still researching...

Good video clip on the current Vitamin regulation debate here :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/4672847.stm

Liver failure and stomach problems ? No thanx :gag:

Good advice about remembering 2 tell your GP about vits/mins if you are unwell or receiving medication as it can have adverse effects.

Eating healthily so as not to need tablets is best advice where possible :thumbsup:

Originally posted by nick2
I read in Metro that picking your nose and eating the result is good for your imume system as you are eating the germs trapped in the bogies.

I know thats nothing to do with the thread topic, but it is interesting if it's true.

That probably explains the contemptuous look I get from my 4 year old grandson when I ask him to stop doing it.

He's probably thinking I'm a stupid old duffer who doesn't know what's good for him :D

You can definitely overdose on Vitamin A . I have read that many times. Also Vitamin C can upset your stomache even in small doses. I have always taken vitamins and supplements. some ive had trouble with,others I havent. I truly believe in the Essential Fatty Acids. Theve definitely been proved to increase a childs intelligence, and calm kids down ,and make them concentrate more. They had done trials on that. I take Collagen tablets , Q10 and of course the essential fatty acids,in the form of fish oils.Definitely feel better for it. Also into juicing so get my Vit C the natural way. Also Spirulina is superb especially for vegetarians.

You lot just keep popping the pills and making someone richer. Cant believe people can be so stupid. Eat fruit, veg and small amount of meat. Listen to that southern sort on radio Sheffield in the morning always on about her body and what vitamins she takes, how much exercise she gets etc. Clearly got head right up her own arse (seen this Toby!) then tells us she smokes...WHAT an idiot.

Sorry to ramble but cant remember the name of the DJ in the morning, anyway she thinks she has a sexy laugh but sounds like a horse with athsma HERHHHEEER..HERHEEEE.