Can you overdose on Vitamin C?

[imhotepmp]

I take 1000mg+ of Vitamin C a day, and I was wondering if it was possible to overdose on it. If i remember my biochemistry correctly Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and any excess that yor body doesnt need will be washed out. Can anyone confirm this? I know that fat soluble vitamins get stored in your body and therefore you can overdose. btw I had an Organic Chemistry Teacher who was a personal friend of Linus Pauling and according to him, Pauling used to carry around a bottle of Vitc everywhere he went. He would eat them like candy!!

imhotepmp

 

[skywhr]

I'm not sure about overdosing but I know to much can be unhealthy.

 

[kassy]

Too much can give you headaches, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, hot flashes, rashes, fatigue, insomnia and can make you feel alittle 'wired'. If you are female then be very careful of your vitamin C intake, Vit C is a natural herbal abortive.

 

[yakko]

Yes you can. My ex-girlfriend did and the worst side effect was temporary blindess. You can overdose on anything. She was being stupid which is why it happened because it takes a lot.

 

[imhotepmp]

Why would too much be unhealthy?
So is the login Im using about it being water soluble wrong?



<< Vit C is a natural herbal abortive. >>



whoa!! could you elaborate on that? Never heard of anything like that.

imhotepmp

Ok, weve established that it is...but how mcuh is dangerous? Im taking around 2000mg/ day.

 

[StageLeft]

It is water soluable and so for the most part any excess is excreted in urine. However I have heard that 10+ grams (ie, 10,000 mg) can possibly be overdosing. Many athletes (like big bodybuilders) crank back thousands of mgs a day. Not to say that thats healthy but certainly 1,000-3,000 mg of vitamin C a day is no problem at all - and in fact could be beneficial...

REmember that the RDA for vitamins is generally what is considered for non-active people and is an amount they should so that they fight off basic disease...so just because the RDA for V C might be 60 mg a day certainly does not mean that 500 mg, for instance, will not benefit you more.

 

[IBhacknU]

too many people follow the 'more is better' approach without knowing the consequence

 

[Wangel]

Any excess comes out. I have heard that some mega doses of Vit. C can be lethal. Try feeding mega doses of Vit. C to a Rat. It will die in about 10 days. Don't remember what the actual doses were, but we are talking about a LOT of Vitamin C to be lethal.

 

[Mucman]

A fact many people fail to realise when taking vitamin supplements is the it is hard on the kidneys! Yes vitamin C is water soluble but that doesn't mean the your kidneys don't have to work hard to remove the excess from your system! Ever notice when you take a wiss after some vitamin pills your urine is a neon yellow? That's all the excess your body is removing! If you are going to take a lot of vitamins make sure you drink lots of water.

Don't quote me on this but I believe most vitamin C pill give you one form of the vitamin while eating a citris fruit will give you enough vitamin C plus if it gives you hundreds of variants that are healthy for you!

Personally I do not believe in vitamins... a healthy diet is all you need to keep your body healthy. I understand taking supplements if you can't eat the foot that the vitamin is contained in or you are in a time of your life where you need a little bit more of that substance, but vitamin C is probably one of the most readily available vitamins in daily food sources!

<edit>Wow there was like 5 responses while I typed this , brw too much water can kill you too! My mom treated a child who drank several gallons in an hour (don't know if it was suicide), but the child was a mess!<edit>

 

[Frenchie]

Skoorb is correct. Vitamin C is water soluble, and any excess not used by the body will be excreted via the body's urine. Unless you are taking a truly massive amount, there should be little fear of overdose on Vit. C.

 

[imhotepmp]

anyone want to elaborate on the &quot;natural abortive&quot;?

imhotepmp

I guess the old saying
Too much of anything isnt good for you.

Applies here.

imhotepmp

 

[lowtech1]

Excess vitamin C usually pass right through your body, but if you take it in the 100000mgs then your body will find an unpleasant way to pass it out.

One of my friend claim that you don't get diarrhea if you take too much vitamin C. So a bunch of us wager a case of beer for him to take 100000mgs of vitamin C a day for a week. He took the wager, but his ass was really sorry for that week

 

[Frenchie]

imhotepmp:

Water soluble vitamins can be broken down and passed out of the body in water (ie urine). Fat soluble vitamins cannot...they are stored in the body's fat cells. Hence, it is possible to overdose on fat soluble vitamins such as E.

 

[kassy]

Its true, Vit C is one of many that have been used by &quot;Wise Women&quot;. For a couple who are planning to start a family it is worthwhile to research this, ginger is another common one. Ginger if taken in large ammounts will end an EARLY pregnancy. I am not promoting abortion, but its something that people should be aware of.

 

[StageLeft]

Mucman

People have told me that &quot;a good diet is all you need&quot; and I agree. But tell me, do you know how to diet perfectly? I sure don't. And even if I did I would not bother because I bet that an ideal consumption of vitamins and minerals would require pounds of vegetables/fruits to be consumed on a daily basis. Talk about pain in the butt! I think most people in the world who are unwilling to do this (or don't know how, myself included) could benefit from some vitamin supplementation.

 

[lowtech1]

What Are Vitamins and Carotenoids and What Are the Adverse Effects of Deficiencies and Overdose?


>>>Toxicity of Vitamin C.
Adverse effects from vitamin C supplements are uncommon, but high doses (more than 1000 mg per day) may cause headaches and intestinal and urinary problems, including kidney stones. Studies have suggested that in doses of only 500 mg or more vitamin C may actually have pro-oxidant effects (as opposed to being a beneficial antioxidant in normal levels) and can damage cells. Because ascorbic acid increases iron absorption, people with certain blood disorders, such as hemochromatosis, thalassemia, or sideroblastic anemia, should particularly avoid high doses. Large doses can also interfere with anticoagulant medications, blood tests used in diabetes, and stool tests for diagnosing colon cancer. A condition called rebound scurvy is caused by abrupt withdrawal from long-term ingestion of large doses of the vitamin. In rare cases, infants of pregnant women who have taken large doses of vitamin C have been born with rebound scurvy.<<<

 

[HKSturboKID]

I used to buy half a gallon of OJ and just drink it thru out the day. One day my friend told me that you can get kidney stones from too much Vitamin C and I stopped.
But then again...anything that we eat and drink can kill us anyway........

 

[StageLeft]

I thought kidney stones were from things such as too much calcium... I really don't think a person has to worry about too much Vitamin C unless they are addicted to it for some unknown reason. I take 1000 every morning for the hell of it.

 

[kami]

I take 1000mg/day (500 in morning, 500 in evening). I never get sick either, I really think it helps.

 

[wyvrn]

90% of most supplements get urinized anyway. So people who pay big $$ for these pills are wasting it down the toilet, literally. Just eat a well balanced diet with plenty of green vegetables (these store the most energy your body can use and are rich in vitamins and minerals). Eating a lot of meat (protein diets) does very little but cause your body to become acid. (Humans need to be a slightly alkalin 7.3 on a scale of 14). A salad has exponentially more energy potential than a steak, and you do not have to worry about cholesterol. I used to be a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but when I started studying the leading experts on nurtrition, I changed my eating habits to mainly vegetables. I have way more energy now than I ever did and I am losing weight to get to my college size. Not to mention that I do not get sick nearly as often as I used to (stronger white blood cells), I am a happy camper.

Side note: Cholesterol is put by your body on your artery walls to lessen the effects of an overly acid bloodstream caused by eating too much meat. So having too much meat in your diet is a double-whammy.

 

[Ranger X]

I think I'm thinking of Vitamin A but it could be Vitamin C. One or the other, you cannot overdose on it because the body only takes in what it needs. All the extra leftovers are byproducts to the human body and is probably passed on through.

 

[kami]

If your pee is really yellow that is one sign you are flushing out excess Vitamin C...and it is probably the same for other vitamins too. That way you should know if you are just wasting money taking in too much. I think you would need a damn lot of it to hurt yourself.

 

[StageLeft]

kami

I piss yellow if I haven't had many fluids lately ...

rangerx

You can certainly overdo vitamin A - I believe it is fat soluable...Acutane (for acne) is similar in form to Vitamin A and you can overdo on that too...I hope I&quot;m not BSing, but thats what I remember.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Want too OD on Vit A. Eat seal liver...will do it every time

wyvrn is right. I took a minor in Nutrition Science in University and 90% of vitamins are a total waste of time and money.

 

[Ranger X]

Thanks. Maybe I've mistakened it for another Vitamin <Alphabet>