Cause of Vitamin Toxicity Hypervitaminosis Vitamin Overdose

Vitamin toxicity is a condition causing symptoms because you’re consuming an overdose of a vitamin or vitamins. Also referred to as hypervitaminosis or vitamin poisoning, this type of toxicity results almost exclusively from taking mega-doses of vitamin supplements.

Every body needs varying amounts of essential vitamins to maintain good health. Contrary to advertising salesmanship, you’ll obtain most of what your body needs if you eat a well balanced diet. And for those that don’t, fortification of many commonly consumed food stuff offers a broad safety net.

Vitamins are organic molecules in food that are needed in small amounts for growth, reproduction and the maintenance of good health. Yet, more is not always better when dealing in vitamins, especially the fat soluble ones.

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin K.  The water-soluble vitamins are folate, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin B6, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and vitamin C.

Vitamin A and vitamin D are typically the vitamins that cause hypervitaminosis in large doses, and are the most toxic. Whereas, vitamin toxicity problems are less likely to be caused by an overdose of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin and vitamin C.

Treatment starts by stopping the use of vitamin supplements. And an overdose of vitamin D may require health care attention because it can cause abnormally high levels of blood calcium, aka hypercalcemia. And a severe case hypercalcemia is a medical emergency.

Vitamin toxicity can be prevented by minimizing the use of vitamin supplements.

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