Multivitamin Side Effects – Tips to Avoid Problems
The number of people who take multivitamin supplements is at the highest it’s ever been. But for many, that experience isn’t always pleasant. Just look at the comments on social media or in the thousands of product reviews you find online and you’ll see comments about vitamins causing stomach pain, diarrhea, headaches or rash. It’s gotten so bad that some are becoming concerned that they may have allergies to specific vitamins or supplements.
The Most Common Side Effects of Multivitamins
We looked at thousands of product reviews online which revealed that the #1 complaint about multivitamins is stomach discomfort. And it’s no surprise when you consider that the amount of nutrition that you’re getting in one tiny pill is typically more than you would get in a whole meal. Possibly even a whole day’s worth of meals! Our body just isn’t used to processing all these nutrients in such high doses at once. The trick is identifying the most likely culprit. Here’s a list of specific vitamins that get the most complaintsand tips to lessen or avoid those annoying side effects.
Vitamin C side effects–
vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. As the name implies, it is an acid which can cause some people to experience a burning sensation in the stomach. Taking vitamin C on a full stomach is one way to avoid this. Some people take a special form of vitamin C that has been bound with fatty acids or esters called esterified C, which is reported to reduce burning in the stomach.
Vitamin B side effects –
vitamin B collectively refers to a family of vitamins that includes B1 thru B7, B12, and folic acid. B vitamins are water-soluble and therefore do not build up in your body. However, at levels of 50mg or more, side-effects have been reported that range from nausea and vomiting to skin conditions and excessive thirst. One particular B vitamin worth mentioning is niacin. Niacin can cause a reaction called “niacin flush” that makes the skin red, warm and itchy. This can be scary if you’re not familiar with it. Dosages as high as 500mg of niacin can trigger niacin flush. There’s also a synthetic form of niacin called nicotinic acid that is sold as a drug for managing cholesterol. It is common for people taking nicotinic acid to experience niacin flush unless it’s time-released. At high levels nicotinic acid has also been shown to potentially increase blood sugar levels, so people who are diabetic or pre-diabetic should be cautious.
Vitamin D side effects –
vitamin D is critical for a number of important functions in the body. Namely immunity and bone health. When it comes to side-effects, the condition most often reported is called hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia occurs when there is too much calcium in the blood. Calcium is a key electrolyte and so it plays a role in a myriad of physiological functions. Too much calcium can trigger confusion, trouble thinking, joint pain, headaches, anxiety, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat and a myriad of other effects. Vitamin D has become very popular in the media in recent years. Supplement companies have reacted by offering increasingly higher doses which raises the risk for overdosing on vitamin D and experiencing side effects. More is not always better and therefore the recommended daily intake of between 400-800 iu is your safest bet.
Vitamin E side effects –
vitamin E is an oil (lipid) based vitamin and therefore can accumulate in the body. This accumulation can increase the risk for elevated levels of vitamin E and subsequent side effects. The side effects most associated with vitamin E are fatigue, diarrhea, and headache. Because these side effects can be caused by so many other things, sometimes vitamin E is overlooked as a contributing factor. Vitamin E is a popular supplement but it is also prevalent in many cooking oils. In addition, it is one of the vitamins food companies most often use to fortify foods. For these reasons, the risk of overdosing on vitamin E may be higher than most people realize.
Calcium side effects –
sales of calcium supplements have increased dramatically over the last 20 years in the United States, in part fueled by the belief that supplementing with calcium will help prevent osteoporosis, a disease that effects bone density and is most common in post-menopausal women. The more common side effects of calcium supplementation are kidney stones and constipation, however, a study published in 2009 with over 10,000 women ages 52-62yrs showed that those supplementing with calcium and vitamin D had higher instance of coronary heart disease that was statistically significant(link).
Magnesium side effects –
many people are not aware that magnesium has a laxative effect. In fact, it’s a common ingredient found in over-the-counter constipation medications. There are a number of high-dose powdered magnesium supplements marketed for anti-anxiety. People who suffer from anxiety may already experience stomach distress stemming from that condition. A high dose magnesium supplement could potentially worsen that stomach distress. Always be careful and start with moderate dosage the first time you’re using a new product like this.
Can Vitamins Make You Sick?
At the end of the day, anything can make you sick if you take too much. The question is whether your symptoms are caused by a specific vitamin/mineral or other factors. For instance, did you take it on an empty stomach? Are you taking other foods that already have high levels? Are you taking high levels of another nutrient that enhances absorption (like vitamin D and calcium)? Are you taking a medication that may be causing an interaction?
The best recommendation is to rely on nature. Natural organic nutrient-dense plant-based foods that, over millions of years, have evolved to provide us with the nutrients we need, in the proper dosage and ratio.
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