Once upon a time, the only source of vitamin and supplements was from food. Now shelves are filled with all kinds of vitamin supplements, with choices ranging from pills and chewables, to gummies and liquids. While the goal of taking vitamin and supplements is to promote health, what you don’t know can have the opposite effect.

1. You can take too much.
While most people know about requirement levels, below which you are a risk of being deficient, there is also an upper tolerable limit to consider. These recommendations are based on scientific studies, to show a range of safety and efficacy for individual vitamins. Taking high doses of individual vitamins changes how the body uses it, and can promote negative side effects impacting multiple body organs, as well as interfere with the absorbtion of other nutrients. Bottom Line: Stick with 100% of the RDI (recommended daily intake) for vitamin and supplements, unless you have a special medical need and have talked with your doctor. Is it OK to take vitamin supplements every day?

2. Water soluble and fat soluble vitamins act differently in the body.
All vitamins are not the same, and have a different chemical composition that impacts how the body digests and stores them. Water-soluble vitamins (B-vitamins, vitamin C) are not retained by the body over the long term. Any excess consumed in foods or supplements is eliminated in urine.
While it’s never a good idea to take high doses of any vitamins, water soluble vitamins are less risky because they do not accumulate in the body. You’ll have vitamin-rich urine. Fat-soluble vitamins are retained by the body and stored in the liver. Over time, the amounts can accumulate, sometimes resulting in health damaging effects. Bottom Line: Be mindful of water and fat soluble vitamins and the doses you take. The best bet is a daily mutli-vitamin. Talk to your doctor for dosing of additional fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D and E.

3. Everyone doesn’t need a daily multi-vitamin.
Recent studies do not support the use of a daily multivitamin supplement to ensure good health. But population data described in the studies do not always apply to an individual. Think of a daily multi-vitamin as “insurance” to meet dietary requirements if your daily eating does not include at least 5 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables along with several servings of whole grains.