Table of contents:
- What is hypervitaminosis (excess vitamins)?
- Why does hypervitaminosis (excess vitamins) occur?
- Symptoms of hypervitaminosis based on their vitamins
- Excess vitamin A.
- Excess B vitamins
- Excess vitamin C
- Excess vitamin D.
- Excess vitamin E
- Excess vitamin K
Vitamins are nutrients in the form of organic substances that are available in various food ingredients and are available specifically in supplement form. Vitamins are needed by the body to carry out various metabolic functions, but the body only needs sufficient amounts. Excess levels of vitamins in the body will have toxic effects. Although this is rare, excess levels of vitamins in the body can have adverse health effects.
What is hypervitaminosis (excess vitamins)?
Hypervitaminosis is a term that refers to abnormal levels of vitamins stored in the body that can cause poisoning. The vitamin group also affects the occurrence of hypervitaminosis. Is a fat soluble vitamin that more often causes the effect of hypervitaminosis, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. In contrast to water soluble vitamins (vitamins B and C) which are not too long stored in the body, fat soluble vitamins can be stored in fat. so that accumulation can occur. However, too much water soluble vitamins can also have bad effects on the body.
Why does hypervitaminosis (excess vitamins) occur?
Vitamins can be derived from food ingredients and vitamin supplements, even our bodies can form their own such as vitamin D from synthesis elgocalciferol when basking in the sun. Excess vitamins (hypervitaminosis) occurs when our bodies get vitamins from several sources. If food contains enough vitamins, vitamin supplementation is no longer needed and if it is continued, it will have harmful effects on the body.
Hypervitaminosis is characterized by health problems that result from the body's physiological mechanisms and the biochemical reactions of vitamins.
Symptoms of hypervitaminosis based on their vitamins
Excess vitamin A.
Usually due to consumption of vitamin A levels that are too high every day for a long time. The impact of hypervitaminosis A can occur acutely and chronically due to physiological and biochemical mechanisms in the body that store vitamin A. Acute effects of hypervitaminosis A will occur when the level of vitamin A that has been stored exceeds 25000 IU / kg. Meanwhile, chronic effects will appear if the consumption of vitamin A reaches or exceeds 4000 IU / kg every day for 6 to 15 months.
Symptoms of an acute excess of vitamin A include headaches, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, irritation and visual disturbances. Meanwhile, chronic symptoms include fever, dry mouth, pain in the bones, anorexia. In some cases, the chronic effects of hypervitaminosis A include fluid pressure in the bones around the brain (intracranial), anemia, and low platelet levels (thrombocytopenia). If you have hypervitaminosis A, stop taking vitamins immediately. Chronic effects, especially intracarnial pressure, should be treated immediately with diuretics and mannitol drugs.
Excess B vitamins
Usually due to the intake of vitamin B from supplements, because hypervitaminosis B caused by food consumption has never been reported. The use of vitamins more than 200 micrograms per day causes toxic effects and if taken for a long time can cause neurological disease. In general, B complex hypervitaminosis (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12) causes changes in the skin, nausea, ulcers, fatty liver, increases blood sugar and uric acid levels.
Excess vitamin C
This condition is caused by the consumption of vitamin C in excess of the dose of 2000 mg per day. Excess consumption doses are usually caused by intake of vitamin C from supplements. Symptoms of excess vitamin C include diarrhea, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and the most severe effect is the formation of kidney stones. In general, the symptoms of hypervitaminosis C are treated with medication in accordance with the symptoms experienced by the individual.
Excess vitamin D.
Usually caused by taking vitamin D and calcium supplements at the same time. The condition hypervitaminosis D usually does not cause immediate symptoms, but is due to a secondary effect of excess calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia), because too much calcium is absorbed in the presence of vitamin D in the body. The limit for consumption of vitamins is around 600 IU per day.
The acute effects of vitamin D are constipation, dehydration, loss of appetite, fatigue, dizziness, high blood pressure, and arrhythmias. While the chronic effects caused are damage to the kidneys, bone loss, and calcification (hardening) of the arteries and soft tissues in the body. To fix this, immediately stop taking vitamin D, and reduce consumption for a while. Treatment by reducing calcium levels is also necessary so that calcium levels in the body return to normal.
Excess vitamin E
Vitamin E comes from various food ingredients but the condition of excess vitamin E is only found in people who take vitamin E supplements. The recommended consumption of vitamin E is only 30 mg per day but the effects of hypervitaminosis E appear when taking vitamin E at doses above 1 gram per kg of weight. body in one day. Hypervitaminosis E causes bleeding because it blocks the action of vitamin K. Some of the symptoms that may occur are fatigue, headaches, and problems with the digestive system. These symptoms can be relieved by stopping the supplement and medication according to the individual symptoms.
Excess vitamin K
Although vitamin K is stored in fat, the symptoms of hypervitaminosis K are very rare. The limit for vitamin K intake is 500 micrograms per day. Exceeding the dose limit can cause allergic reactions and cause liver problems, but this is very rare.
