| Vitamins and minerals are essential, in a | | | | and lower extremities, which may be |
| very small amount; for healthy growth and | | | | exacerbated by exercise; epiphyseal capping |
| development. They cannot be synthesized in | | | | and premature epiphyseal closure, may occur |
| the body. The body only utilizes them without | | | | in children. Neurological effects include |
| breaking them down, which is the reason why | | | | blurred vision and frontal headache, |
| they are only required in "small amounts". | | | | craniotabes in children, or bulging |
| Vitamins and nutrients are often regarded as | | | | fontanelle in infants. Chronic vitamin D |
| wonder nutrients and are thus normally | | | | overdose effects include the above symptoms |
| believed to be free from side effects.However | | | | and constipation, anorexia, polydipsia, |
| vitamin overdose may cause discomfort and | | | | polyuria, backache, hyperlipidemia, and |
| other potentially serious damage to the body. | | | | hypercalcemia followed by hypertension and |
| Vitamins are usually separated into | | | | cardiac arrhythmias. Vitamin E overdose |
| water-soluble (e.g., the B vitamins, vitamin | | | | causes nausea, headache, fatigue, easy |
| C) and fat-soluble (e.g., vitamins A, D, E, | | | | bruising and bleeding muscle weakness, and |
| K) groups. Vitamins overdose of vitamin B and | | | | creatinuria.Chronic vitamin E overdose |
| C are excreted in the body but fat-soluble | | | | effects include all of the above, suppression |
| vitamin overdose tend to accumulate and | | | | of other antioxidants, and increased risk of |
| eventually cause poisoning when high levels | | | | hemorrhagic stroke. Vitamin K overdose |
| of concentration in the body have been | | | | typically associated with formula-fed infants |
| reached. Each vitamin also has specific | | | | or those receiving synthetic vitamin K-3 |
| symptoms associated with its vitamin | | | | (menadione) injections. Because of its |
| overdose. The good news is that morbidity and | | | | toxicity, menadione is no longer used for |
| mortality from pure vitamins overdose are | | | | treatment of vitamin K deficiency. Effects |
| rare. One study of acute or chronic vitamin | | | | may include jaundice in newborns, hemolytic |
| overdoses, with more than 40,000 exposures, | | | | anemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Most adults |
| reported 1 death and 8 major adverse | | | | can obtain enough vitamins by eating a |
| outcomes. Vitamin A overdose can cause | | | | well-balanced diet. It has, however, become |
| headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry itchy skin, | | | | increasingly common for people to take |
| hair loss and loss of appetite. Fatigue and | | | | vitamins at levels far greater than the |
| irregular menstruation are common. In extreme | | | | recommended dietary allowance RDA. Balanced |
| this vitamin overdose there can be bone pain | | | | amounts of each and every vitamin in the body |
| and enlargement of liver and spleen. High | | | | should be properly followed, as an excessive |
| doses of beta carotene may turn the skin | | | | in take of one vitamin can adversely affect |
| yellowish orange. Meanwhile, vitamin A | | | | the body's use of another vitamin even though |
| overdose in pregnancy may lead to birth | | | | the second vitamin is present in normal |
| defects. Vitamin D overdose may lead to | | | | amounts. For instance, deficiency in vitamin |
| calcium deposits in soft tissues, blood | | | | K is attributed by large amounts of vitamin |
| vessels walls and kidneys. In children this | | | | E. Vitamin E overdose changes the body's need |
| will cause growth retardation.Musculoskeletal | | | | for vitamin K to the point of causing vitamin |
| effects include pain and tenderness, | | | | K deficiency. |
| particularly in the long bones of the upper | | | | |