Diet

Hypervitaminosis

What is hypervitaminosis?

Hypervitaminosis is an excess of one or more vitamins in the body. This excess is caused by an excessive intake of vitamins, which can be caused, for example, by an unbalanced diet or dietary supplements.

Hypervitaminoses occur mainly with fat-soluble vitamins, i.e. vitamins A, D, E and K. This is because the fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body and not, like the water-soluble vitamins, can be excreted via the kidneys with the urine.

I recognize hypervitaminosis by these symptoms

Hypervitaminosis can cause different symptoms depending on the vitamin overdosed and the amount of overdose.

Common symptoms are:

a headache
dizziness
Circulatory disorders

In addition, there are complaints in the gastrointestinal tract. These are expressed by:

Loss of appetite
nausea
Vomit
constipation
diarrhea

Furthermore, those affected often feel defeated and have difficulty concentrating. Joint problems with pain also occur in many hypervitaminoses.

In hypervitaminosis with vitamin A, enlargement of the liver, cracks in the corners of the mouth and visual disturbances also occur.

Hypervitaminosis with vitamin C can cause severe stomach pains as the stomach can become acidic.

If too much vitamin D is absorbed into the body, this leads to kidney damage and the development of osteoporosis.

Excessive intake of vitamin K can cause changes in the blood and damage to the liver.

Hypervitaminosis due to certain vitamins

Vitamin D hypervitaminosis

In hypervitaminosis D there is an excessive accumulation of substances that play a role in the cycle of vitamin D production. These substances are calcitriol and cholecaliferol. Hypervitaminosis D can be reached both acutely and chronically, i.e. over a longer period of time. It occurs from a value of approx. 50mg, a chronic one from 1-2mg per day for several months.

The two substances promote the absorption of calcium, which in the case of hypervitaminosis with vitamin D causes symptoms that are caused by an excess of calcium in the body. The changed electrolyte balance leads to disturbances of the kidney function, which manifests itself in an excessive excretion of urine. At the same time, those affected have an increased feeling of thirst, also known as polydipsia, and the lack of fluids means there is a risk of dehydration.

Furthermore, there is an increase in blood pressure, i.e. hypertension, and disorders of the heart rhythm. In addition, there is the burden on the body, which manifests itself in weight fluctuations, exhaustion, abdominal pain and digestive disorders.

If hypervitaminosis D is chronic, i.e. with slightly increased amounts over a longer period, the damage to the organs is usually more pronounced. Osteoporosis occurs, i.e. the increased fragility of the bones, calcium deposits in the blood vessels and renal insufficiency.

For more severe symptoms, treatment should include cortisone and targeted excretion of excess calcium, in addition to interrupting vitamin D intake.

Are you interested in this topic? Then read the next article below: Overdose of vitamin D.

Vitamin A hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis A is extremely rare. It is more likely to be triggered by a prolonged intake of too much vitamin A than by a single dose that is too high.

Depending on the amount of too much vitamin taken, nausea, vomiting and headaches can occur as the pressure on the brain increases.

Hypervitaminosis A rarely affects other organs. In this case, these include the liver and spleen, which react with an enlargement, as well as a reduction in thyroid function. Occasionally bone growths can also occur, causing severe pain.

Vitamin E hypervitaminosis

The amount of vitamin E that is officially tolerated is 300mg, which can be consumed by an adult daily without being harmed. If this dose is exceeded, digestive tract complaints with diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Increased fatigue and weakness of the muscles can also occur.

Since vitamin E plays an important role in blood clotting, hypervitaminosis E is particularly dangerous for people with coagulation disorders. A doctor should therefore be consulted in the event of such concerns as a precaution.

Vitamin B12 hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis B12 is hardly possible in the narrower sense, as the body can compensate for an excess of the vitamin via excretion with the kidneys. For this reason, the values from which an overdose of the vitamin could occur are also very different.

Since vitamin B12 is important for many processes in the body, it should not be avoided for fear of overdosing.

Negative reactions to injections of vitamin B12 into the muscle can rarely be observed. However, these usually only include harmless symptoms, such as a temporary rash or hot flashes. In rare cases, nausea, vomiting or dizziness can occur.

One side effect that has so far only been observed in isolated cases is anaphylactic shock, i.e. an allergic reaction of the circulatory system.

There are also cases where injecting high amounts of vitamin B12 has caused acne to develop. However, it is suspected that this is more due to additional substances in the injection and not to vitamin B12 itself.

If you're more interested in vitamin B12, check out our next articles below:

Vitamin B12
Diarrhea from vitamin B12

Vitamin B6 hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis B6 can only be triggered by an artificial overdose, for example with the help of vitamin preparations. This attacks the nervous system and disrupts the nerves that allow touching and other sensations.

Furthermore, inflammation of the skin can occur, including a certain form of acne. Studies have shown that an excessive amount of vitamin B6 in the body is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. However, this was only found in men.

Vitamin C hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis C is usually not dangerous. However, since it is a very acidic substance that is found in lemons, for example, excessive intake can lead to over-acidification of the stomach. Therefore, vitamin C should be taken as ascorbate, which is a neutralized form of the vitamin.

Since vitamin C is excreted via the kidneys, caution should also be exercised if kidney function is impaired. If you are prone to kidney stones, a large amount of vitamin C can also cause damage.

Long-term consequences of hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis only leads to long-term consequences in a very few cases, as the majority of vitamins are excreted by the body when they are excessively accumulated. Furthermore, after the hypervitaminosis has been determined, the effective treatment is to immediately discontinue or reduce the amount of vitamins. In this way, long-term consequences can usually be avoided.

However, if a vitamin accumulates in the body for a long time, this can have different consequences. Often there is a deposition of the vitamin, which often affects the liver. This can lead to liver malfunctions and the organ often enlarges.

Furthermore, disorders of the kidney function often occur, since the kidneys try to excrete them in the urine, at least with the water-soluble vitamins. There are also more specific symptoms, which depend on the type of vitamin.

In the case of hypervitaminosis E, for example, coagulation disorders can occur, which are accordingly intensified in the case of previous restrictions. The nervous system is also often affected by hypervitaminosis, which can manifest itself in various failures of sensations.

Causes of hypervitaminosis

Hypervitaminosis is caused by an excessive intake of vitamins. This leads to an accumulation of vitamins in the body, which can manifest itself through various symptoms.

This mainly affects fat-soluble vitamins, as these, unlike water-soluble vitamins, cannot be excreted via the kidneys with the urine. The risk that these vitamins will be deposited in various tissues in the body and cause symptoms is accordingly higher.

The excessive intake can arise in a number of ways. For example, an unbalanced or one-sided diet can lead to an overdose of vitamins. But dietary supplements or vitamin preparations can also cause an excess of vitamins in the body if too high a daily intake is made.

Hypervitaminosis can occasionally also be caused by medical personnel if, for example, nutrition is provided by gastric tube or parenterally, i.e. via an infusion, over a longer period of time. They often contain large amounts of vitamins.

In rare cases, congenital diseases that interfere with the breakdown of vitamins can also lead to hypervitaminosis. For example, a certain genetic defect means that vitamin D can no longer be broken down and excreted, which means that it accumulates more in the body.

What vitamins can you use to get hypervitaminosis?

In theory, you can get hypervitaminosis with all vitamins. However, there are vitamins that are more likely than others. These include primarily the fat-soluble vitamins. These are vitamins A, D, E and K.

In contrast to the water-soluble vitamins, if they accumulate excessively in the body, they cannot be filtered through the kidneys into the urine and excreted. Instead, these vitamins are deposited in various tissues in the body, which makes hypervitaminosis more likely.

Hypervitaminosis, which is caused by a poor diet, primarily affects vitamin A. This vitamin is found in high quantities in the liver and can therefore accumulate in the body when animal liver or cod liver oil is consumed regularly.

Diagnosis of hypervitaminosis

For the diagnosis of hypervitaminosis, the anamnesis, i.e. the doctor-patient discussion, is very important. In this way, any malnutrition or excessive use of food supplements can be detected.

Examination of the blood is also of great importance. Here the excessive accumulation of the affected vitamin can usually be proven.

Furthermore, the symptoms caused by hypervitaminosis are often typical and can also contribute to making the diagnosis.

The following topic could give you a better overview of the subject of blood tests: Blood count - large BB, small BB & normal values