Many people assume that nothing bad can come from taking vitamins. After all, they are found naturally in healthy foods, so how could they be unhealthy in pill form? While perhaps not unhealthy, it is possible to overdo it on the supplements—and knowing the signs you’re taking too many vitamins can help you pause and reevaluate your regimen if needed.
“People think of supplements in the same way they do fruit,” said Robert J. Fontana, M.D., professor of medicine at University of Michigan Medical School. “They think, cranberries or grapes can’t make me sick, so if I consume more of them, I’ll get healthier.” And yet, this isn’t always the case. Taking too many vitamins and supplements can come with risks.
Meet the experts: Robert J. Fontana, M.D., professor of medicine at University of Michigan Medical School; Cindy Reuter, N.D., M.S.O.M., M.P.H., LA.c., medical director of integrative medicine at Dartmouth Health Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH; Pieter Cohen, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and leader of the Cambridge Health Alliance Supplement Research Program in Cambridge, MA; Olivia Thomas, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., director of nutrition innovation and implementation at Boston Medical Center.
