Overdosing on Vitamins

[SpintingForLife]

Is it possible to overdose on vitamins and minerals by eating too many veggies? I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and am worried about overdosing on vitamins.

For example, 1 bell pepper has 250% of the RDA for vit C and 1 orange has 160% the for vit C. If I eat 1 bell pepper and 2 oranges through out the day I'm getting 570% of the RDA for vit C. Add in a couple other fruits and veggies and I'm easily getting 800% of the RDA for vit C daily. I'm intaking similar amounts of vitamins A, B, and K as well on a daily basis.

Am I harming my self by ingesting several times the RDA for most nutrients?

[bigdogfarmhand]

Don't do it. It will make you

[SpintingForLife]

^^^^^^^
lol wut?

[SpintingForLife]

bump

[foodandfitness]

Yes and no.

Overdose is a word I think of when I think of acute toxicity and damage. Eating a a lot of vegetables isn't going to cause something like this.

As a general rule, a prolonged megadose of vitamins will likely give you suboptimal health compared to taking a moderate dose when supplementing vitamins. But you can't realistically megadose on vitamins from natural food sources unless you're going to binge on polar bear liver or something like that.

Remember that the %s you see are based on the RDAs for vitamins and minerals. There's a wide range between deficiency and toxicity for a vitamin.

[SpintingForLife]

What exactly do RDA's represent? Do RDA's represent the minimum amount of a nutrient required to avoid deficiency, the optimal amount required for health, or the limit for a certain nutrient.

[snorkelman]

ADE&K are the fat soluable vitamins. They are the ones you should be careful about, especially if supplementing with certain vitamin supplements.

[foodandfitness]

What exactly do RDA's represent? Do RDA's represent the minimum amount of a nutrient required to avoid deficiency, the optimal amount required for health, or the limit for a certain nutrient.

OP, go here and read this report front to back http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI/Ess...uideNutReq.pdf

come back with questions if you have any.

[SpintingForLife]

If the vitamin A in plant foods are carotenoids which the body doesn't directly absorb but instead uses to form vit A when needed, does that mean its impossible to overdose on vit A through diet?

[ELLSKIES]

If the vitamin A in plant foods are carotenoids which the body doesn't directly absorb but instead uses to form vit A when needed, does that mean its impossible to overdose on vit A through diet?

No, it's definately possible. Haven't you ever heard of people turning orange from eating too many carrots? True story.

[Mr.Cooper69]

Is it possible to overdose on vitamins and minerals by eating too many veggies? I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and am worried about overdosing on vitamins.

For example, 1 bell pepper has 250% of the RDA for vit C and 1 orange has 160% the for vit C. If I eat 1 bell pepper and 2 oranges through out the day I'm getting 570% of the RDA for vit C. Add in a couple other fruits and veggies and I'm easily getting 800% of the RDA for vit C daily. I'm intaking similar amounts of vitamins A, B, and K as well on a daily basis.

Am I harming my self by ingesting several times the RDA for most nutrients?

A few hundred/thousand % RDA of the water soluble vitamins is totally fine and even normal in well-nourished individuals.

Yes and no.

Overdose is a word I think of when I think of acute toxicity and damage. Eating a a lot of vegetables isn't going to cause something like this.

As a general rule, a prolonged megadose of vitamins will likely give you suboptimal health compared to taking a moderate dose when supplementing vitamins. But you can't realistically megadose on vitamins from natural food sources unless you're going to binge on polar bear liver or something like that.

Remember that the %s you see are based on the RDAs for vitamins and minerals. There's a wide range between deficiency and toxicity for a vitamin.

Virtually all cases of hypervitaminosis are chronic

If the vitamin A in plant foods are carotenoids which the body doesn't directly absorb but instead uses to form vit A when needed, does that mean its impossible to overdose on vit A through diet?

You can overdose on anything in nature, therefore you can overdose on any vitamin.

[cumminslifter]

No, it's definately possible. Haven't you ever heard of people turning orange from eating too many carrots? True story.

this is true^ happened to me from sweet potatoes and pumpkin

[ELLSKIES]

this is true^ happened to me from sweet potatoes and pumpkin

LOLOLOL; happens to the best of us. )

[cumminslifter]

LOLOLOL; happens to the best of us. )

ppl ALWAYS asked me why my hands looked orange lol

[rolandszi]

the RDI is very cautious amounts

[rand18m]

this is true^ happened to me from sweet potatoes and pumpkin

Happened to me with cucumbers! What an affliction that is!

[SpintingForLife]

Happened to me with cucumbers! What an affliction that is!

lol wut?

Did you turn green?