Australians have always been known for their healthy lifestyles. But in recent years, more and more Australians are taking supplements to ensure they get all the nutrients they need.

There are many reasons why Australians are taking supplements. First, many believe that the food we eat is no longer as nutritious as it once was. Much of the food available is heavily processed and had its nutrients stripped off.

Secondly, we are living longer and healthier lives, and we want to make sure we stay that way. Taking supplements can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

Finally, more and more of us are under stress, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Taking supplements can help us cope with stress and improve our overall health.

While these health concerns and our efforts to address them are valid, consuming too many vitamins and minerals can do more harm than good to your health in the long run.

In fact, health experts warned against purchasing them, to begin with, as many pointed out that they are just a waste of money. Some even went as far as to say that these supplements could lead to an individual's untimely death.

So, how can vitamins, the compounds that help us keep our bodily functions running, be harmful?

Credit: YouTube/Ted-Ed​

We’re going to get a bit technical in this next part, bear with us.

First, let's take a look at the two types of vitamins: water-soluble and lipid- or fat-soluble. The difference between these two groups determines how these vitamins are transported, stored, and eliminated from the body.

Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed into the body because they are dissolved in the watery portions of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Once ingested, these meals are digested, and the bloodstream immediately absorbs the vitamins they contain.

They also have an easier time being transported because blood plasma is made of water, but they can still move around freely inside the body. Examples of water-soluble vitamins include C and the B complex group.

Since they can freely move in the body, water-soluble vitamins can easily be passed through the kidneys and eliminated from the body. This also means that these vitamins need to be replenished in our bodies daily through the food that we eat.

On the other hand, the journey into the blood is a little more perilous for lipid-soluble vitamins, which are present in foods like dairy, butter, and oils and are dissolved in fat.

This type of vitamin, which includes vitamins A, D, E, and K, passes through the stomach and intestine, where bile, an acidic fluid produced by the liver, breaks down the fats and makes them more soluble so they may be absorbed through the intestinal wall.

Proteins that bind to fat-soluble vitamins act as messengers to transport them into the blood and throughout the body. Fat-soluble vitamins need these 'media' to move around the body as they cannot utilise the blood's watery nature.

While our bodies can easily get rid of water-soluble vitamins, lipid-soluble vitamins are more durable because the liver and fat cells can store them. The body uses these areas like a pantry, keeping the vitamins there and rationing them out as needed. We shouldn't overdose on this type of vitamin because the body typically has plenty on hand.

Too high vitamin intake can damage our liver and cause a lot more complications that can be fatal. Credit: Healthline via Getty Images/Yulia Reznikov.​

Now, can you see the problem here?

Supplementing with too many vitamins and minerals can lead to an accumulation of these nutrients in the liver. This can cause liver damage and even death.

With the current 'fascination' of many of us with taking dietary and herbal supplements due to the threats of contagious diseases such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, the number of Australians suffering from liver complications increased.

A recent study in Australia found that the percentage of patients with liver problems who take nutritional supplements and herbal remedies climbed from 15% in the years 2009 to 2011 to 47% in the years 2018 to 2020.

More information on the harm of excess vitamin intake can be watched here:

Credit: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia​

So, how can we avoid excess intake of vitamins?

It’s easy to overdose on vitamins, especially if you’re taking more than one supplement. But there are a few things you can do to avoid getting too much of a good thing.

First, consult with your GP about your nutritional intake and whether you are deficient in a specific vitamin. Sometimes, doctors will advise those people who are deficient in some nutrients to take certain supplements. It should be noted, however, that most medical practitioners will advise supplementing your nutritional needs with food unless your health condition says otherwise.

Secondly, check the labels on your supplements. Many vitamins come in different forms, and each form has a different potency. So, if your GP prescribes some supplements, it’s important to ask them about how much of each vitamin you’re taking.

Finally, don’t forget that you can get vitamins from food as well. Eating a balanced diet is the best way to get the nutrients your body needs. So, before you reach for a supplement, make sure you’re getting enough of the right foods.

Below is a list of vitamins and minerals and their best sources:

Vitamin Sources

Water-soluble:

B-1: ham, soy milk, watermelon
B-2: milk, yogurt, cheese, whole and enriched grains and cereals.
B-3: meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes
B-5: chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, mushrooms
B-6: meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu and other soy products, bananas
B-7: Whole grains, eggs, soybeans, fish
B-9: Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, legumes (black-eyed peas and chickpeas), orange juice
B-12: Meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, fortified soy milk and cereals
Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, potatoes, broccoli, capsicum, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, brussels sprouts

Fat-soluble:

Vitamin A: beef, liver, eggs, shrimp, fish, milk, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, mangoes
Vitamin D: Milk and cereals, fatty fish
Vitamin E: Vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts
Vitamin K: Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, kale

Minerals

Major:

Calcium: Yogurt, cheese, milk, salmon, leafy green vegetables
Chloride: Salt
Magnesium: Spinach, broccoli, legumes, seeds, whole-wheat bread
Potassium: Meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes
Sodium: Salt, soy sauce, vegetables

Trace:

Chromium: Meat, poultry, fish, nuts, cheese
Copper: Shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, beans, prunes
Fluoride: Fish, teas
Iodine: Iodised salt, seafood
Iron: Red meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, green vegetables, fortified bread
Manganese: Nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea
Selenium: Organ meat, seafood, walnuts
Zinc: Meat, shellfish, legumes, whole grains

Source: Matthew Solan/Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School

Just a side note, many people have been taking vitamin C and zinc supplements as a preventative measure to counter COVID-19, believing that these nutrients will help boost your immune system which the disease targets. While it is true that vitamin C and zinc can help in repairing your damaged cells and that the body can easily get rid of the water-soluble vitamin, intaking too much of these nutrients can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, and general abdominal discomfort, and kidney stones. So, it is still best to get them from food sources.

In these strange times, it is understandable why many people are getting anxious over their well-being, especially when ‘invisible’ threats, such as the COVID-19 virus, pose a huge risk to our health. While many are falling into the promises of dietary and herbal supplement companies, it is still better to focus on eating healthy, exercising, and getting regular check-ups to combat these health risks.

We hope this article convinced you that you should always check with your GP if you are planning on some changes to your diet and health regime. Stay safe out there, folks!

 

[JayKay]

Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition and have been prescribed added vitamins, and your diet is adequate and well-balanced, why pay lots of $s to take supplements and have them excreted through your kidneys where you flush them down the toilet?

 

[Ricci]

I firmly believe that most people get what they need from the food they eat without recourse to pills. Thank you though for the lists of what can be found in which food, it should help making sure you have a well rounded diet.

 

[Macarj]

I only ever have vitamin C and when the oranges are good I don't take vitamin C

 

[Noraya]

Unfortunately not everyone is able to get their nutrients from food. I eat very healthy food, but am living without a stomach so need supplements or injections to stay on top of it. I HATE tablets, and it took me 20 years to give in... would never do it, much rather spend my money on buying organic food

 

[Ezzy]

Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition and have been prescribed added vitamins, and your diet is adequate and well-balanced, why pay lots of $s to take supplements and have them excreted through your kidneys where you flush them down the toilet?

I firmly believe that most people get what they need from the food they eat without recourse to pills. Thank you though for the lists of what can be found in which food, it should help making sure you have a well rounded diet.

Definitely a comprehensive list of which foods contain what vitamins. Never have been one for taking supplements. Thankyou for sharing this info.

 

[peteloo]

I wouldn't read the title "fatal consequences of excessive vitamin intake" and generalised "Vitamins" intake as fruitless and a waste of money.


Water-soluble vitamins C and B's, are essential but imagine the amount of food in the proper diet that you need to consume and digest before these nutrients get into your bloodstream and cellular support. Furthermore, one major destroyer of these nutrients is the stress level - the higher the stress on your body, the more nutrients you need to balance your health. Stress can come from external or internal sources (e.g. eating unhealthy food that causes temporary inflammation). Excess intake is passed off from the body so there is little chance for this to accumulate to toxic levels (although some might say that the high dosage stresses the liver and kidney - but everyone is different).

Non-water soluble vitamins may end up stored in your liver if these are not ingested into your body. There may be some truth in not consuming excessive amounts of these. A serum blood test for the levels of these vitamins in your body may be the best indicator to advise if you need supplements or a change of diet.

Furthermore, as we age, our body's ability to convert food intake into nutrients declines - this is a fact. And to make things worse, the unhealthy diet of our younger days cumulate into various internal health issues like heart, liver, and rectum issues.

I witness this from my parents. My father was "healthy" because he ate well and walks every day. He was able to live to 103, and only passed on because of a fall (which fractured his femur).
He was diabetic and sacrificed not consuming sugar (he took Aspartame instead). Nevertheless, he developed high BP. The doctor prescribed a host of pills for his diabetes and blood pressure - he was taking at least 8 different pills daily, regardless of the side effects. His life was just in sustenance mode, and not as healthy as before. He was also bedridden after 95. The amount spent on his medication was huge.

When he was younger, he did not consume supplements because it was "a waste of money". He chose to pay for medications in his later life (perhaps higher amounts). Of course, from where he lived, there was no Medicare to pay for medications.

Our health needs to be maintained in our younger days so that we can enjoy better golden years. Unless you have a strict healthy diet and exercise routine, supplements may be the next best alternative.
Maintaining health is proactive, waiting to have an underlying health condition and getting medications from doctors is reactive.

So, I won't totally dismiss this as stated in the title of this article. Not many doctors are trained on nutrition and supplements - it's best to seek the advice of a nutritionist or naturopath.