Taking more than one multivitamin

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crabbok
crabbok Posts: 66 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I watched a documentary on nutrition and it talked alot about vitamins and the healing power of foods and nutrients. I've decided I'm going to start taking 2 multivitamins per day instead of one.

However wife expressed some concern. Like, for all I know this documentary I watched couldve been wrong, after all they are just one source of information. I figured I'd ask you guys if anyone has taken double their daily vitamins before and if they got sick?


Also I'm convinced that the "Daily recommended percentage" on the back is more of a minimum than a maximum, because I also bought some vitamin C pills, and each pills gives 1,667% of my daily recommended allowance. So if an over the counter pill can give me over 16 times my daily limit... I'd have to conclude that it's not exactly a true limit.

Replies

  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    did the documentary talk about multi-vitamins or was it referring to vitamins in food?

    nutrients and vitamins in food are absorbed far better by the body than in pill form, partly due to other chemicals in the foodstuffs which help them to be absorbed. Many vitamins and supplements are almost worthless due to the body's inability to process them. If you are feeling the need to take a double the dose of a multi-vitamin because you are concerned you are deficient then you need to take a serious look at your diet and make some changes.

    In addition the taking of vitamin supplements has been shown recently in some cases to do more harm than good - for example beta-carotene raises the risk of lung cancer; the average American does not have a deficiency in Vitamin A etc. To put it bluntly, most of those supplement pills are on the market purely to make the manufacturers a pretty penny. Unless you have an active deficiency and are recommended to do so by a doctor, then you should think again about taking them.

    your wife is right - they could be harmful - see here and elsewhere.

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/should-i-take-a-multivitamin/
  • devan33
    devan33 Posts: 177 Member
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    If I take a vitamin every day, I get kidney stones!!! I got them every time I was pregnant and taking prenatal vitamins and no other time...thought it was due to pregnancy...later when I started taking a multivitamin while eating healthier, I got kidney stones again! SO, no vitamins for me and I haven't had another stone since....I try to watch my daily intake and hope that I am getting most of my nutrients from food...doesn't always work..but better than stones...uhg
  • supergirljen
    supergirljen Posts: 98
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    I knew a guy who was really into USANA and they sold a crap ton on vitamins that were supposed to help you live forever. He took them for 7+ years and then got liver cancer and died a year later. We always wonder how much damage those "vitamins" did to him.
  • cuterbee
    cuterbee Posts: 545
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    Overdosing on vitamin C will give you very expensive urine. That's about it. Overdosing on several others won't have any effect, either, but overdosing on a few can make you very ill or even kill you.

    Take the recommended amount unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
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    You may as well take one and flush the other one down the toilet because that's where it will end up.
  • JoshRodenberg
    JoshRodenberg Posts: 30
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    Also I'm convinced that the "Daily recommended percentage" on the back is more of a minimum than a maximum, because I also bought some vitamin C pills, and each pills gives 1,667% of my daily recommended allowance. So if an over the counter pill can give me over 16 times my daily limit... I'd have to conclude that it's not exactly a true limit.

    That is because it is water soluble. A large dose like that won't hurt you, assuming you drink plenty of water, but your body will not utilize all that. The majority of people think more is always better though. Your body will take a small portion and flush the other 90% out. Stick with one a day and eat more fruit and vegetables.
  • crabbok
    crabbok Posts: 66 Member
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    Yeah but I take them before bed, so I'm not peeing them out right away. This way they get all night to absorb.
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
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    There are quite a few vitamins that can make you ill if you take too much - nausea, diarrhea, kidney stones, etc. Plus, my understanding is as long as you're getting a healthy amount of the vitamin, you get the benefits but for a lot of them, taking extra isn't going to give you any more health benefits. Multivitamins aren't always a one stop superpower, combined with food you could be getting too much of a vitamin. Plus as others have mentioned, it's better to get the vitamins from food rather than a pill.

    I'm all about the healing powers of vitamins as well. But rather than taking two multivitamins, what about taking higher doses of the vitamins you're convinced you need the health benefits from? For example, I take a high dose of Vitamin D because I'm at a very high risk for cancer and some studies have shown that it can help. I also take a high dose of Vitamin B complex because I have had anxiety issues in the past and it helps for that.
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
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    the only time i've ever taken more than 1 multivitamin is when i worked out for 4+ hours and burned 4k calories in a single day just from exercise.

    it is completely unnecessary if you aren't an extreme exerciser.

    besides, most of your vitamins should be coming from food, not from supplements.
  • hbm616
    hbm616 Posts: 377 Member
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    Many vitamins have an upper limit that should not be exceeded.

    And you really don't need 2 multivitamins...most of it will just be wasted in the toilet.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    Yeah but I take them before bed, so I'm not peeing them out right away. This way they get all night to absorb.

    :noway: Once your body has processed the excess, it's gone. It won't be reabsorbed just because it's being stored in your urine.

    I think you need to get your information from sources other than a documentary (which are nearly always propaganda). Talk to a doctor or Dietitian.

    You're wasting money and risking (although it's likely a small risk) making yourself sick.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
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    I personally do not use a multi-vitamin. However I do take some individual vitamins/supplements. I know which ones to take because I see a Naturopath that tests my urine and can tell me where I dificient. I currently take vitamin D3 (1000 IU) because I live in Canada and work durning daylight hours in the winter. I take vitamin C (1000 mg) even though I'm sure I probably don't need too because I eat lots of raw food but vitamin C is water soluble so you pee out the excess. I take 2 x vitamin B (100mg of each B) complex because my naturopath says I'm extremely deficient. I take probiotics (5 x 5 billion) and omega 3s (1200mg). Then on the side, I take a female hormone balance supplement from my naturopath.
  • crabbok
    crabbok Posts: 66 Member
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    I think you need to get your information from sources other than a documentary (which are nearly always propaganda). Talk to a doctor or Dietitian.
    I absolutely agree with you, which is why I posted this topic. I won't stop at JUST the documentary I saw, it was just a starting point. And I think a very good one at that. It pointed out a great number of things that I wasn't truly aware of, including the benefits of eating more raw vegetables. However, I will always continue to seek the advice of peers, professionals, and most of all, my own experience.

    I'm gonna try the 2x a day multivitamin for awhile longer and see how it works for me, because even if it does prove to be a healthy option, my body might be different and ultimately I think it's worth testing something new to see how my body reacts to it.

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