|
| |
Symptoms of Toxicities
hair folicle testing
Buy MineralCheck hair folicle testing kits
Table 1 gives the symptoms of vitamin and mineral toxicities.
Toxicities occur at lower intake levels in infants, children, and pregnant and
lactating women. If a woman takes excessive amounts of many vitamins and
minerals while pregnant her child can be affected.
Table 1 also gives the lowest doses at which toxicities have been
reported in reliable scientific publications. The literature contains many case
studies where nutrient overdoses are presumed to affect health adversely. The
nutrient amounts and time that people with toxicity problems took the nutrients
are frequently not given so it is difficult to determine minimum toxicity
levels. Size, age, sex, genetic background, as well as general health and
previous nutritional status of individuals also affects responses to over consumption
of vitamins and minerals.
Complications
Some nutrients have specific pharmacologic effects at high dosages.
Pharmacologic doses sometimes, but not always, reduce symptoms of certain
diseases and metabolic conditions, and complicate the diagnosis of certain
diseases. They also influence treatment of some diseases and metabolic
conditions. Medications may interact with vitamins and minerals and influence
medicine effectiveness.
Adaptation
Individuals can adapt to taking large amounts of a vitamin or a mineral. And, if
they stop taking high levels of nutrient supplements and start consuming normal
levels, they can develop nutritional deficiency diseases (for example, scurvy).
If one desires to stop taking large doses of a vitamin or mineral, the intake
should be gradually decreased.
Legal Regulations
Some supplements have been contaminated and some have failed to meet advertised
claims. Because supplements are legally considered to be foods not drugs, the
Food and Drug Administration has few regulations concerning them. Regulations
are being proposed on the marketing of high dosage supplements.
Selected References
- Diet and Health — Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989.
- Handbook of Vitamins, 2nd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1991. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 7th ed. Philadelphia: Lea
& Febiger, 1988.
- Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 6th ed. Washington, DC: Nutrition
Foundation, 1990.
- Quantitative Evaluation of Vitamin Safety. Pharmacy Times. May,
1985.
- Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press, 1989.
- Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, 5th ed., volumes 1-2.
San Diego: Academic Press, 1986.
- Vitamin-Mineral Supplements and Their Usage by Adults. NebFact
92-90. August, 1992.
File NF97 under FOODS AND NUTRITION
C-1g, Nutrition-Nutritive Value of Foods
Issued October 1992
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension
work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. Kenneth R. Bolen, Director of Cooperative Extension, University
of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
educational programs abide with the non-discrimination policies of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
FirstPage
Previous
Buy MineralCheck hair folicle testing kits
Goto Hair Analysis & Drug Tests @Home