Hypervitaminosis
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Vitamin poisoning, or hypervitaminosis, refers to a condition of high storage levels of vitamins, which can lead to toxic symptoms. The medical names of the different conditions are derived from the vitamin involved: an excess of vitamin A, for example, is called "hypervitaminosis A."

High dosage vitamin A; high dosage, slow release vitamin B₃; and very high dosage vitamin B₆ alone (i.e. without vitamin B complex) are sometimes associated with vitamin side effects that usually rapidly cease with supplement reduction or cessation.

Vitamin C has a brief, pronounced laxative effect when taken in large amounts, typically in the range of 5-20 grams per day in divided doses for a person in normal "good health," although seriously ill people,^[1] may take 100-200 grams without inducing vitamin poisoning.

High doses of mineral supplements can also lead to side effects and toxicity. Mineral-supplement poisoning does occur occasionally due to excessive and unusual intake of iron-containing supplements, including some multivitamins, but is not common.

The Dietary Reference Intake recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture define a "tolerable upper intake level" for most vitamins.

Comparative safety statistics

Death by vitamin poisoning appears to be quite uncommon in the US, typically none in a given year. However before 1998, several deaths per year were typically associated with pharmaceutical iron-containing supplements, especially brightly-colored, sugar-coated, high-potency iron supplements, and most deaths were children.^[2] Unit packaging restrictions on supplements with more than 30 mg iron have since reduced deaths to 0 or 1 per year.^[3] These statistics compare with 59 deaths due to aspirin poisoning in 2003 and ^[4] 147 deaths associated with acetaminophen-containing products in 2003.^[5]

See also

• Hypervitaminosis A
• Hypervitaminosis D
• Hypervitaminosis E
• Avitaminosis
• Orthorexia nervosa

References

1. ^ Vitamin C, Titrating To Bowel Tolerance, Anascorbemia, And Acute Induced Scurvy Robert F. Cathcart, III, M.D. 1994
2. ^ Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med - Unit-Dose Packaging of Iron Supplements and Reduction of Iron Poisoning in Young Children, June 2005, Tenenbein 159 (6): 557
3. ^ Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med - Unit-Dose Packaging of Iron Supplements and Reduction of Iron Poisoning in Young Children, June 2005, Tenenbein 159 (6): 557, Figure OA40361T1
4. ^ doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2004.06.001
5. ^ doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2004.06.001

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