Skin rashes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, severe joint or muscle pain, difficulty speaking and blood in the urine are other possible adverse events that can result from the use of supplements, according to the U.S. UU. These symptoms can range from less severe to fatal. Manufacturers can add vitamins, minerals and other supplement ingredients to the foods you eat, especially breakfast cereals and beverages.
As a result, you may be consuming more of these ingredients than you think, and more may not be better. Taking more than you need costs more and may also increase the risk of side effects. For example, too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, and cause birth defects. Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and can damage the liver and other organs.
Excessive amounts of minerals in the body can cause gastrointestinal problems. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is responsible for digesting and absorbing food. The body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to function. Excessive doses of these vitamins can be toxic to the body and the gastrointestinal tract will respond negatively through symptoms of nausea, constipation and diarrhea.
Too much vitamin C or zinc can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Excess selenium can cause hair loss, gastrointestinal disorders, fatigue, and mild nerve damage. Ask a pharmacist, doctor, or nurse to review everything you take to ensure that supplements don't cause harmful effects, either alone or in combination with commonly prescribed or over-the-counter medications. In addition, dietary supplement packages are not required to include possible side effects, nor are there any rules on the maximum size of pills (an obvious risk for older people).
While most people don't get megadoses, if you eat a fortified cereal for breakfast, eat an energy bar between meals, eat enriched pasta for dinner, and take a daily supplement, you could easily exceed the recommended daily intake of a number of nutrients. Dwyer says that vitamin D, calcium and folic acid are three nutrients that you can consume in excess, especially through supplements. Weight-loss products accounted for a quarter of all emergency department visits with a single product and disproportionately affected women, while men were more likely to suffer adverse effects from products advertised for sexual enhancement and bodybuilding. People may experience negative side effects if the person takes a high dose of the product or takes several supplements at once.
Patients over 65 years of age were more likely to have trouble swallowing after taking large vitamins or micronutrients in pills. A study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the adverse effects of supplements were responsible for an average of about 23,000 emergency department (ED) visits per year.
In this 10-year study, researchers analyzed surveillance data from 63 hospital emergency departments to estimate the annual number of emergency department visits associated with the adverse effects of dietary supplements
. In fact, there are many ways in which an essential nutrient supplement can produce an adverse effect.You're more likely to have side effects from dietary supplements if you take them in high doses or instead of prescription drugs, or if you take many different supplements. For many years it was thought that, since vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements are natural, they could not cause any harm. People use these supplements to enrich the body with vitamins and nutrients, or to lose weight, improve sexual performance, and increase energy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not determine if dietary supplements are effective before they are marketed.
Some dietary supplements can help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients if you don't eat a variety of nutritious foods...
