Do You Know That Taking Too Much Of ‘Vitamin C’ May Cause Side Effects?
As we all know, Vitamin C is a very important nutrient that’s abundant in many fruits and vegetables.
Getting enough of this vitamin is especially important for maintaining a healthy immune system. It also plays an important role in healing wound, keeping the bones strong, and enhancing brain function.
Interestingly, medical practitioners claim that vitamin C supplements provide benefits beyond those that can be obtained from the vitamin C found in food.
One of the most common reasons people take vitamin C supplements is the idea that they help prevent the common cold. However, many supplements contain extremely high amounts of the vitamin, which can cause undesirable side effects in some cases.
This article explores the overall safety of vitamin C, whether it’s possible to consume too much, and the potential adverse effects of taking large doses.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in water. In contrast to fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins do not get stored within the body.
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Instead, the vitamin C that you consume gets transported to your tissues via body fluids, and any extra gets excreted in urine. Since your body does not store vitamin C or produce it on its own, it’s important to consume foods that are rich in vitamin C daily.
However, supplementing with high amounts of vitamin C can lead to adverse effects, such as digestive distress and kidney stones.
That’s because if you overload your body with larger-than-normal doses of this vitamin, it will start to accumulate, potentially leading to overdose symptoms.
It’s important to note that it’s unnecessary for most people to take vitamin C supplements, as you can easily get enough by eating fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
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.
You’re most likely to experience digestive symptoms if you consume more than 2,000 mg at once. Thus, a tolerable upper limit (TUL) of 2,000 mg per day has been established.
The most common digestive symptoms of excessive vitamin C intake are diarrhea and nausea. Excessive intake has also been reported to lead to acid reflux, although this is not supported by evidence.
If you’re experiencing digestive problems as a result of taking too much vitamin C, simply cut back your supplement dose or avoid vitamin C supplements altogether.
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The bottom line
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.
However, more serious consequences, such as iron overload and kidney stones, may also result from taking extreme amounts of vitamin C.
Fortunately, it’s easy to prevent these potential side effects — simply avoid vitamin C supplements.
Unless you have a vitamin C deficiency, which rarely occurs in healthy people, it is probably unnecessary for you to take large doses of this vitamin.
Source: HealthLine