The Dangers of Too Many Supplements, According to Science

St. John’s Wort. iron. calcium. At the peak of my illness with Lyme disease, my mother excreted more than 20 supplements a day. I wasn’t just suffering from typical Lyme disease symptoms. The bacteria that caused the infection spread to the central nervous system, causing what is called neurological Lyme disease.

In addition to meeting lime experts and neurologists, I regularly saw a naturopath who prescribes boat roads for supplements. But I can see that the reason I’m megadoing with the vitamins I already got from the food is that I might have already been sicker than before.

That was over 20 years ago. Today, supplement science is being examined more carefully. With hindsight on my side, I was wondering. Did it stay completely disabled for almost seven years with my Lyme disease, excessive replenishment, or a combination of them?

Luckily, not everyone has anything to do with the degree of my experience. And while most people don’t take 20 supplements every day, you wouldn’t be surprised if they were nearby.

We accept the talk of dietary supplements every day. Maybe it’s a product covered in chatty wellness influencers on your social feed or ad break during your favorite podcast. Alternatively, grow the latest and best supplements that family and friends expect at dinner. There is everywhere the idea that a healthy diet is not enough.

Do supplements can be useful when used properly, or do I need to throw a few I still keep in my cupboard and instead stick to a balanced diet to get the nutrients my body needs? And what is the real danger of taking too many supplements? I spoke to medical toxicologists, liver specialists (liver specialists), and nutritionists to understand more and avoid further pitfalls in the booming but unchecked supplement industry.

Understanding supplements and their roles

What is the qualification for a dietary supplement? Essentially, it’s something you’re not food or medicine. Supplements can contain vitamins containing elements such as A, B, C and D, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Plants or herbs, elderberry or ginger, plant compounds (think green powder); minerals such as calcium and magnesium. And even live microorganisms, usually called “probiotics.”

“When we look at and think about supply, it is to strengthen our diet, so if there is a real shortage, supply is guaranteed. Beth Czerwony, MS, RD, CSOWM, LDan outpatient nutritionist at the Human Nutrition Center at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio.

In other words, dietary supplements cannot replace diets, and for this to be able to replace medicines. Their names say it all. but, David W. Victor III, Marylandthe Houston Methodist, Texas, Director of Liver Liver, has said not to discount their power.

Victor explains that, like food and medicine, supplements are broken down in the digestive tract, absorbed into the bloodstream, and transported to the appropriate tissue.

The reasons why people take supplements are as diverse as our bodies themselves. I did it to try and improve my illness health, which could fill the gaps in my diet. It is common to take Vitamin C or Echinacea in the hopes of supporting your immunity during the cold and flu seasons. Others may turn to vitamin B12 in the hopes that it will help boost your energy levels or improve your workout. A common factor is that consumers are looking for food or what their doctor believes they cannot obtain from the medication they have prescribed. And this trend is growing, with one in three adults in the US and Europe taking at least one supplement per day.

Under current laws laid out by part of the Federal Food Drug Beauty Act, part of the Health and Education of Nutrition Supplements Act in 1994, the FDA has no authority over dietary supplements. Instead, providing surveillance and ensuring product safety is complementary to the company. For example, supplements may not contain what it says or contain ingredients that are not listed. Plus, everyone can sell supplements without proof of their effectiveness. However, if the FDA considers a supplement in the market as unsafe, the company can request that the product be recalled.

The dangers of too many supplements

Some supplements can be dangerous due to drug interactions and the underlying health problems of a person, but their toxicity usually comes from taking many of them. As John W. Downs, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM“As with all medications, it’s important to recognize that more medications are not always good. Overconsuming certain vitamins and nutritional supplements is just as harmful as taking medications beyond the prescribed dose,” said the director of the Virginia Poison Center at VCU Health, Virginia.

And supplements that can become toxic when you’re taking many of them are not simply obscure ingredients. Downs says it contains basics. For example, high doses of vitamin A can cause liver damage and increased pressure on the brain. It is estimated that many of us are unable to obtain sufficient vitamin D from our food, and that about 40% of the US population may have vitamin D deficiency. However, if you take too much, increased serum calcium levels can lead to renal dysfunction and changes in mental state.

Both vitamin A and vitamin D are fat soluble. Czerwony says it means storing the body in fat cells, rather than removing them through urination, like water-soluble ones (including most vitamins and vitamin C). Fat-soluble vitamins accumulate over time in fat storage, which can lead to “ultra-high levels and side effects.”

Victor handles his liver every day, so he is particularly well positioned to see which supplements can wreak havoc. Turmeric supplements have been shown to be quite safe in the short term for most people, but he notes that the supplement and its active compound, curcumin, cause liver damage in some people at doses as low as 500 milligrams per day (the lowest dose commonly found in turmeric supplements). It is important to note that turmeric supplements contain much higher concentrations of curcumin compared to the spice itself. Furthermore, curcumin in foods is much less bioavailable (absorbed and used by the body) compared to supplements.

Another example is green tea. He points out that green tea extract, which is well-reputed for its antioxidant properties, can also cause liver damage when taken in excess. Excessive doses of green tea extract appear to exceed 800 mg (or drink 24 cups of green tea) per day.

“It is also important to note that dietary supplements may contain unexpected ingredients that may also contribute to negative health effects,” adds Downs. Reading the label carefully helps with this, but going back to the lack of FDA regulations, it is also important to be wise about which supplement to choose. Is it even more important? You can work with your primary health care provider to not only communicate potential issues, but also monitor how supplements affect your body with blood tests.

Over the years of oversupply, I often couldn’t hold back the food. Czerwony suggests that this could be a symptom of my overconsumption. “In most cases, it’s going to be like nausea or vomiting,” she explains. “In the end, you’ll have diarrhea and headaches, depending on whether they are [taking] Fat soluble vitamins, it may take a little time. It will take a little longer for the system to accumulate. “Gastrointestinal distress and headaches are the most common symptoms of chronic toxicity, but symptoms may vary from supplement to supplement.

And what happens if you take prescription medication? All of our experts agreed that there could be potentially catastrophic interactions. “St. John’s wort must be used with great care as it is known to interact with several enzymes in the liver and alter the concentrations of many drugs in the body,” says Victor.

“St. John’s wort can also interact with other drugs for depression, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin toxicity,” adds Downs. Some symptoms of serotonin syndrome (or serotonin toxicity) include agitation, tachycardia, and hallucinations.

Czerwony points out that St. John’s Wort can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics that it shares with magnesium, calcium, iron, D, D, D, and many other supplements, including antibiotics. She also says she saw cancer patients trying to boost their immunity with supplements, just to counteract the effects of chemotherapy drugs.

How to safely take supplements

Are there any safe supplements to use? Yes, but it should be done under the care of a doctor. Here are some tips to make it safe:

• Choose an independently verified supplement. Downs recommends that your supplement comes from a reputable source and that you check with your doctor or registered dietitian for the appropriate dosage for you. As mentioned above, the FDA does not regulate supplements or confirm that what they claim is true. So, “It’s important to use the NSF or USP certified logo to find labels. This indicates that the supplement has received independent reviews for quality control and consistency. And, as always, if it seems too good, it’s probably true,” he warns.
• Start a new supplement and do blood work: “Checking the lab will help you monitor the effectiveness of supplements on your liver,” says Victor, who recommends blood tests one month to 12 weeks after starting a new supplement. “Patients should be open with their doctor about which supplements they are taking so they can recognize all that can cause liver inflammation,” he continues.
• Note the available resources: The National Institutes of Health maintains its website. livertoxallowing patients to check the toxicity of the supplement. You can also arrive at a local certified toxin control centre at 1-800-222-1222 to discuss potential drug-replacement interactions.

Conclusion

Nutritional supplements that are used correctly and under the supervision of healthcare professionals can be an essential fortification of a balanced diet. For example, the recession that made my illness even more difficult to treat could have been improved with a safe and balanced vitamin D regimen. But taking more than 20 supplements a day was not the answer, especially if some of the things I took likely reduced the effectiveness of my antibiotics.

“The supplement should never replace healthy diets, just to enhance it,” says Czerwony. “You shouldn’t feel like you can eat anything you like, and you just take a lot of supplements and think you’re fine.”

It’s all in the name. That’s exactly what support is. Based on supplements (or filling in gaps) and healthy diets.