Many people are concerned over whether their families should be given extra vitamin pills. Much depends on the circumstances under which they live. When people are healthy and strong, extra vitamins are not needed. However they are valuable when a person is recovering from a severe illness or injury. Most people can get all the vitamins they need by taking a well balanced diet, along with sufficient rest, sunshine and exercise.

There is risk to the lives of elderly people if they are taking even moderately high doses of vitamin E, evidence suggests. People who took daily vitamin E doses exceeding 400 "international units" (IU) per day (equivalent to about 270mg) had an increased risk of death by about 10% compared with those who did not.

Fat-soluble vitamins are more risky in higher doses because, unlike very large doses of water-soluble vitamins, which can simply be washed out in the urine, these stay in the body and can be toxic.

Many people who could enjoy reasonably good health are suffering from various kinds of illness. Most of them are neither sick nor well. They are just dragging themselves around, half dead most of the time. What a miserable existence. They are not sick enough to go to bed, and not well enough to do their work properly.

In some cases the trouble may be due to some parasite, or some hidden cause of illness. In many others the trouble arises from a faulty diet. Too many people spend their money lavishly, then wonder why they and their children are sick or lacking in vitality.

Many of them are looking for some magic pills to help them out of their misery, but this is not the solution. They would be in far better health if they would only make a careful study of the laws of health, and then apply them in their own lives.

All forms of life, whether plant or animal requires certain essential food elements in order to live and reproduce their own kind. These food materials must be present in the diet in the right proportion, and must be taken regularly.

Like all the higher animals, the human body is composed of untold millions of living cells, all are very much alive, and all carrying out their particular functions. Each cell must be fed and cared for, otherwise it cannot work properly. To be assured of this, we must choose a sensible diet. So much depends on our making the right choice of food. The body building materials required by our body should be in adequate amounts. If they are in excess they can create problems for our body. As the famous saying, “ Excess of everything is bad.” So is also applied to our body. If our body takes excess of vitamins they will naturally create problems in our body.

Water soluble vitamins - such as the B group vitamins and vitamin C - cannot be stored by the body to any great extent, so if you take in excess than your body needs, they are simply excreted. However, the fat-soluble vitamins A and D can accumulate in the body, but pose no danger to your health if consumed within the safe upper limits indicated for them. The exception is in pregnancy, when large amounts of vitamin A may pose a risk to the developing infant.

As we grow old our body become less efficient at absorbing some of the nutrients from our diet making it important to ensure that the right quantities of important vitamins and minerals are consumed. For example, as we get older our bodies are less able to absorb iron but Vitamin C can help increase absorption. On the other hand, we are also more prone to toxicity as even water-soluble vitamins are not excreted as much because of our less efficient kidneys. Individual sensitivities and variations in response can occur, so if any unexpected symptoms appear while taking a particular supplement, medical advice should be taken.

If a person is taking too much of a vitamin or mineral, one should not stop completely.
If a person wants to increase the dosage of some nutrients or are worried about their present vitamin regimen, one should consult their doctor or a registered dietitian in both cases. This is especially important in an illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure, since large doses of some supplements can interfere with the function of some medications.

Nonspecific symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash, are common with any acute or chronic vitamin overdose. Symptoms caused by vitamin overdose may be secondary to those associated with additives (e.g., mannitol), colorings, or binders; these symptoms usually are not severe. Each vitamin also has specific symptoms associated with its overdose

As with most substances, it is the amount consumed that is the key. Almost anything is toxic if consumed in excess, including salt, alcohol and even water or oxygen! Provided that supplements are taken in the amounts recommended on the pack by the manufacturer or retailer, and combining too many different supplements does not exceed the recommended doses, then it is highly unlikely that supplements will cause toxicity.

When supplements are taken in a combined form normally they will not interfere with the way they work and in some cases may be beneficial. However, certain supplements may interact with each other, for example, there is competition within the gut for the absorption of different minerals and a large dose of one might decrease the absorption of another or cause excessive absorption of another. Generally speaking though, this is not a problem. Take vitamin D and calcium for instance. No matter how much calcium you take, it will not be anywhere as beneficial as if you took a moderate amount of both vitamin D and calcium together.

Remember, vitamins and minerals are natural and our body is designed in such a way that it deals with the vitamin and mineral intakes. But or body has not developed anything to deal with artificial drugs, which is why overdosing with many different drugs can and is dangerous. As long, as we do not overtake with our vitamin and mineral intake and are aware of the guidelines for specific supplements (which can be obtained from the back of any bottle) we are well on our way towards optimum health.

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