Can You Overdose Vitamin C

Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Vitamin C

• Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Vitamin C?

Vitamin C has many health benefits but is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Find out what happens if you take too much Vitamin C.

Unlike in the 1700s when scurvy ran rampant, today its incredibly easy to get our hands on plenty of Vitamin C. Which is great since there are so many incredible health benefits that Vitamin C does for our bodies.

But sometimes people go a little overboard and start consuming too much Vitamin C. What they dont realize is that there can be side effects when you take too much of anything.

In fact, you can actually overdose on Vitamin C. To learn more about Vitamin C toxicity, keep reading. Were sharing with you everything you need to know about the harmful side effects of too much Vitamin C.

The Vitamin C Technique Isnt Worth Your Time

Vitamin C is typically relatively harmless, even in large doses. But other abortion home remedies can be extremely dangerous.

At most, taking too much vitamin C will leave you with diarrhea and a stomachache. It could also increase your risk of kidney stones.

Generally speaking, when taking vitamin C supplements, its probably best not to exceed 2,000 milligrams each day.

Because vitamin C abortion does not work, wasting time on this method will only work against you.

Abortions are easier to get earlier on in a pregnancy. Medical abortions, in particular, are only available up to around 11 weeks after the first day of your last period.

Getting an abortion sooner rather than later has several benefits, such as:

What Is Vitamin D

Unlike vitamin C, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that your body absorbs vitamin D the same way you would absorb fats in your diet. While you can get vitamin D from foods in your diet like sardines, egg yolks, and cheese) most people get their daily dose from sunlight. Exposure to the sun, specifically UV rays, helps your body naturally synthesize vitamin D from cholesterol stores in your skin. A number of factors impact the ability for people to get necessary levels of Vitamin D through sun exposure. Regional factors that prevent people from getting sun exposure include wearing sunblock, cloud cover patterns, smog, and the angle at which the sun hits the earth where you live. In this case supplementation may be a good option for you.

Vitamin D is available in two forms: D2 and D3 .

Read Also: What Is The Connection Between Skin Sunlight And Vitamin D

Which Vitamins Are Dangerous In Large Doses

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for all vitamins and minerals. The UL is the highest level of daily intake of a nutrient that’s not going to pose any risks to a healthy person. Here’s a look at the ULs for all the vitamins and what can happen if you take too much.

Care In The Emergency Room

If your child took a vitamin supplement with iron, they will often need an emergency evaluation.

Children get iron toxicity most often if they have an accidental vitamin overdose with an adult vitamin, like a prenatal one, versus a kids supplement.

Your child may need to be watched in the emergency room or hospital for a few days to watch for signs of iron toxicity. They may need:

• Bloodwork to check for iron levels over time

• X-rays to look at how many iron tablets are in their system

• A procedure called GI tract irrigation to make the tablets leave the body quicker

• Medications to bind the iron and remove it from the body

Iron overdoses can lead to liver failure and even comas.

Children who experience iron overdoses can develop symptoms very quickly so even if your child seems fine at first, dont wait to seek care.

You May Like: Hair Loss Female Vitamin Deficiency

Too Much Vitamin C May Cause Digestive Symptoms

The most common side effect of high vitamin C intake is digestive distress.

In general, these side effects do not occur from eating foods that contain vitamin C, but rather from taking the vitamin in supplement form.

Youre most likely to experience digestive symptoms if you consume more than 2,000 mg at once. Thus, a tolerable upper limit of 2,000 mg per day has been established (

Summary

Ingesting more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day may lead to gastrointestinal upset, including symptoms like diarrhea and nausea.

Vitamin C is known to enhance iron absorption.

It can bind to non-heme iron, which is found in plant foods. Non-heme iron is not absorbed by your body as efficiently as heme iron, the type of iron found in animal products .

Vitamin C binds with non-heme iron, making it much easier for your body to absorb. This is an important function, especially for individuals who get most of their iron from plant-based foods .

One study in adults found that iron absorption increased by 67% when they took 100 mg of vitamin C with a meal .

However, individuals with conditions that increase the risk of iron accumulation in the body, such as hemochromatosis, should be cautious with vitamin C supplements.

Under these circumstances, taking vitamin C in excess may lead to iron overload, which can cause serious damage to your heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, and central nervous system .

How Much Should I Have Every Day

Doctors recommend taking 65 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C a day. Notice how this is much less than one supplement would give you, so theres really no need for 500 to 1,000 mg supplements. You really dont need to worry about your intake much at all. As long as you have a healthy and balanced diet and eat your fruits and veggies, you will probably intake the suggested amount or more every day without even realizing it.

You May Like: Where To Buy Geritol Vitamins

What Is Vitamin E Toxicity

Vitamin E toxicity is when an excessive amount of vitamin E builds up in your body and causes health complications.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that functions as an antioxidant. It may decrease your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, vision problems, and brain disorders .

One of its key functions is to keep blood vessels dilated and prevent clots from forming in your blood vessels .

The Daily Value for vitamin E is 15 mg per day. The following foods are rich in vitamin E (

• Oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, wheat germ oil, corn oil
• Nuts and seeds: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, peanuts
• Fruits: kiwis, mangoes, tomatoes
• Vegetables: spinach, broccoli

Given that fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fat, they can build up in your body fat, especially if youre taking in excessive amounts through diet or supplements .

For vitamin E, the Upper Limit or the amount that most people can consume daily through food and supplements without complications is 1,000 mg .

Summary

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin. If taken in high doses, it can build up in your body fat and cause complications.

6 ).

It has also been linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain .

Furthermore, one study suggests that excessive vitamin E intake is linked to a higher risk of death from any cause, but more research is needed to explore this possibility .

Stop Taking Vitamin C Supplements If Youre Overdosing

However, the easiest and best way to handle a Vitamin C overdose is to either lower your daily intake significantly or stop taking the supplement altogether. That does not mean you need to stop eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in Vitamin C.

In most cases, lowering or eliminating Vitamin C in supplement form should be enough to eliminate most or all overdose symptoms. Drinking more water should also help to flush out your body and help you recover from an overdose.

However, be careful how much water you drink. Too much water or drinking a high volume of water too quickly can significantly reduce your sodium levels and lead to death.

Recommended Reading: Benefits Of High Dose Vitamin C

How Does Vitamin C Affect The Body

Vitamin C is a powerhouse nutrient the body shouldn’t go without. It has the ability to repair tissue, stimulate the production of white blood cells, and reduce inflammation and other physical effects of stress. Vitamin C can also lower your risk of stroke and help with iron absorption.

“Vitamin C is a critical antioxidant that is involved in the structure and function of nearly every part of the body,” says Beverly Goode-Kanawati, DO, and director and founder of Beverly Medical Center in Raleigh, NC. “For example, vitamin C is needed to create collagen which is the underpinning of structures for everything from the skin to bones.”

Since the body doesn’t create vitamin C on its own, you need to get it in your diet or in supplemental form vitamin C is found in a variety of foods, including:

What Causes Vitamin D Toxicity

Taking large doses of vitamin D supplements is usually what causes the condition.

Foods with vitamin D have small amounts of it, so itâs very unlikely that youâd get too much from your diet. Your skin also makes D when you get sunshine, but that doesnât cause toxicity.

The dose at which vitamin D supplements become toxic isnât clear. But it would need to be very high — way above the amount most doctors usually prescribe. Research shows that taking 60,000 international units of vitamin D a day for several months can cause toxicity.

Your chances of getting this condition could go up if youâre on a fad diet that has you take megadoses of a D supplement.

Itâs also possible to get the condition if you take the wrong amounts of high-dose vitamin D supplements that your doctor has prescribed for health issues like:

• Renal osteodystrophy

Some reports have described cases of vitamin D toxicity that were due to mistakes in the way vitamin D products were made or prescribed, including milk that was accidentally fortified with too much D.

If your doctor has you take a vitamin D supplement, make sure you know the right dose to take and how often to take it. If youâre on a high dose, the doctor will probably keep an eye on the level of vitamin D in your body by giving you blood tests.

Most healthy people only need 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D a day, depending on your age and whether youâre breastfeeding or pregnant.

You May Like: What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Sleepiness

How Do You Prevent Vitamin D Toxicity

If your doctor tells you to take a vitamin D supplement, make sure you take the dose they prescribed. And only buy supplements from a reliable, licensed source. Ask your doctor or pharmacist, or check the NSFâs List of Certified Dietary Supplements.

Lots of supplements that are a combination of vitamins have vitamin D in them. If you take one of these combo supplements, check the label to see how much D youâre getting.

Show Sources

Fruits And Vegetables With High Levels Of Vitamin C

There are many fruits and vegetables that have high levels of Vitamin C. If youre worried about taking supplements and the side effects, eating fruit ensures you get your daily dose of Vitamin C without the problems.

Guava has 377 milligrams of Vitamin C. Kiwis have 167 mg.

Bell peppers have 190 milligrams per cup and only 46 calories. Berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all contain Vitamin C. Strawberries contain the highest amount at 98 mg per cup.

Surprisingly, oranges, often synonymous with high amounts of Vitamin C have only 96 mg per cup. Clementines, lemons, and grapefruits are also good sources of Vitamin C but contain fewer milligrams than oranges.

Broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts are also good sources of Vitamin C. Kale is also a good source with 53 mg per cooked cup.

With so many choices, its easy to start your day with a healthy breakfast that contains enough Vitamin C to keep you healthy.

You May Like: Is Vitamin C Good For Your Heart

Stay Healthy With A Good Health Insurance Plan

Part of staying healthy is not taking too much Vitamin C or other supplements that can have adverse effects on your body and health. Another part of staying healthy is seeing your doctor regularly.

Having good health insurance ensures that you can keep your health in check all year round. And that starts by picking a good medical network.

Diarrhea And Vitamin C Overdose

In a study by Johnston CS under the title Biomarkers for establishing a tolerable upper intake level for vitamin C it is acknowledged that vitamin C is very safe, although at more increased doses that goes between 2000 mg and 6000 mg per day, might cause diarrhoea. This side effect does not occur from eating foods that contain vitamin C, but rather from taking the vitamin in supplement form. Diarrhoea is usually followed by other mild discomforts such as stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

You May Like: What Is The Value Of Vitamin D

What Are The Side Effects Of Ascorbic Acid

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using ascorbic acid and call your doctor at once if you have:

• joint pain, weakness or tired feeling, weight loss, stomach pain
• chills, fever, increased urge to urinate, painful or difficult urination or
• severe pain in your side or lower back, blood in your urine.

Common side effects may include:

• heartburn, upset stomach or
• nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is based on the amount of vitamin C intake necessary to maintain neutrophil vitamin C concentration with minimal urinary excretion of vitamin C and is proposed to provide sufficient antioxidant protection . The recommended intake for smokers is 35 mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood concentrations of vitamin C .

Also Check: Are Alive Women’s Vitamins Good For You

You Could Develop Kidney Stones

According to Dr. David Hernandez, a urologist and professor for at University of South Florida, it’s best to get vitamin C from your diet. Taking too much of the supplement could lead to kidney stones over time, he warns.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“There are some studies suggesting that not dietary, but supplemental vitamin C at doses more than a gram a day, a thousand milligrams a day, can increase your risk for stones because of the effect of the oxalate levels in your urine increasing,” Hernandez told WTSP.

Oxalate is a bodily waste product that rids you of excess vitamin C, normally through urine. In some cases, it can bind to minerals and form crystals, which is the cause of kidney stones.

To avoid this, eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, which should provide you with enough vitamin C naturally. Here are 5 Foods High in This Vitamin That Can Help Protect You From COVID-19.

And don’t forget to to get the latest restaurant news delivered straight to your inbox.

How Much Vitamin C Is Too Much

Since vitamin C is water-soluble and your body excretes excess amounts of it within a few hours after you consume it, its quite difficult to consume too much.

In fact, it is nearly impossible for you to get too much vitamin C from your diet alone. In healthy people, any extra vitamin C consumed above the recommended daily amount simply gets flushed out of the body .

To put it in perspective, you would need to consume 29 oranges or 13 bell peppers before your intake reached the tolerable upper limit (

19 ).

All the adverse effects of vitamin C, including digestive distress and kidney stones, appear to occur when people take it in mega doses greater than 2,000 mg .

If you choose to take a vitamin C supplement, it is best to choose one that contains no more than 100% of your daily needs. Thats 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women .

Summary:

Its nearly impossible to consume too much vitamin C from food. However, if youre supplementing with this vitamin, you can minimize your risk of getting too much by taking no more than 90 mg per day if youre a man, or 75 mg per day if youre a woman.

Vitamin C is generally safe for most people.

This is especially true if you get it from foods, rather than supplements.

Individuals who take vitamin C in supplement form are at greater risk of consuming too much of it and experiencing side effects, the most common of which are digestive symptoms.

You May Like: Vitamin D3 Side Effects Anxiety

What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Ascorbic Acid

You should not use ascorbic acid if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a vitamin C supplement.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist about using ascorbic acid if you have:

• kidney disease or a history of kidney stones
• hereditary iron overload disorder or

Your dose needs may be different during pregnancy or while you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not use ascorbic acid without your doctor’s advice in either case.