This blog post will walk you through: what happens if you take two vitamins in one day.
Are Multivitamins Really Necessary?
The problem is that some people have certain illnesses affecting their ability to absorb nutrients. Others don’t get enough nutrients from their diet. If you fall into these categories, a daily multivitamin can help.
Some dietary supplements contain too much of certain vitamins and minerals, which can lead to side effects. Advertisement
Iron supports the formation of red blood cells and protects against anemia. Too much iron, on the other hand, may cause fluid buildup in the lungs, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, liver damage, convulsions, fever and coma.
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Beware that high doses of certain nutrients can worsen your symptoms if you have diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease or other conditions. Excessive vitamin D, for example, may lead to bone pain, calcium stones and toxicity, according to the Mayo Clinic. Crohn’s disease, for instance, reduces the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body, which may result in severe deficiencies and malnutrition.
Is Taking Two Multivitamins Deadly?
Vitamins are always prescribed in a fixed-dose. If this is a rare occurrence, then there’s nothing to worry about.
Fat-Soluble Vs. Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins Water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted from the body and not easily stored in tissues.
There are more water-soluble vitamins than there are fat-soluble ones Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C, plus eight B vitamins: Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B9 (folate)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) Because water-soluble vitamins aren’t stored but rather excreted through urine, they’re less likely to cause issues even when taken in high doses. However, taking megadoses of some water-soluble vitamins can lead to potentially dangerous side effects.
For example, taking very high doses of vitamin B6 can lead to potentially irreversible nerve damage over time, while taking large amounts of niacin — typically in excess of 2 grams per day — can cause liver damage Fat-soluble vitamins Unlike water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water and are easily stored in your body’s tissues There are four fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K Given that fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body, these nutrients are more likely to lead to toxicity than water-soluble vitamins.
Upper intake levels are set to indicate the maximum dose of a nutrient that’s unlikely to cause harm for nearly all people in a general population Fat-soluble vitamins are more likely to cause toxicity, although water-soluble vitamins can do so as well.
Supplements: Check The Dose
Chances are, the unfortified foods you eat aren’t a problem.
“It’s pretty hard to overdo it from food alone,” says Johanna Dwyer, RD, a senior research scientist with the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements. (Daily value is the amount of a vitamin or nutrient that a person should get for optimum health.). Talk with your doctor about any supplements you’re taking, including vitamins and minerals, and the dose you’re taking, too.
That way, your doctor can help you keep doses in a safe range. “If you’re taking a basic multivitamin, there’s no need to fear taking too much,” says Andrew Shao, PhD, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for the supplements industry. “Most multivitamins have such a wide margin of safety that even when you’re combining them with fortified foods, it’s still not going to cause you to keel over,” Shao say.