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<\/p>\n4 min read<\/p>\n
Fat-soluble vitamins are unlike water-soluble vitamins in that they are absorbed differently in the body. <\/p>\n
Because of that, taking fat-soluble vitamins in supplement form poses health risks.<\/p>\n
Below, dietitians explain what you need to know about fat-soluble vitamins and toxicity.<\/p>\n
Did you start the new year with the goal of upping your nutrition game and ensuring you are taking your vitamins<\/a>? Plenty of us did, but before you start compiling a supplement stack, dietitians say there\u2019s one type to take with caution.<\/p>\n Meet the Experts: Juliana Vocca, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, a dietitian and founder of Prime Women Nutrition; and Qianzhi Jiang, Ph.D., R.D.N., a pediatric and family dietitian and CEO of The Nutrition Changer<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are two types of vitamins to consider: water-soluble and fat-soluble. When you take water-soluble vitamins<\/a>, such as vitamins C<\/a> or B12<\/a>, if your body doesn\u2019t use or need the entire dose, that extra waste gets processed by the kidneys and flushed out through urine, explains Juliana Vocca, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, a dietitian and founder of Prime Women Nutrition. Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, aren\u2019t excreted, but rather, stored in fat tissues for later use. Below, experts explain what you need to know about fat-soluble vitamins to avoid them building up over time.<\/p>\n How do fat-soluble vitamins work?<\/p>\n These types of vitamins are \u201cstored in the liver and fatty tissue for long-term use,\u201d says Vocca. These vitamins are essential for your body to properly function. Some common fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. These play various roles in the body and support a host of functions, including the immune system, explains Qianzhi Jiang, Ph.D., R.D.N., a pediatric and family dietitian and CEO of The Nutrition Changer<\/a>.<\/p>\n The concern with the type of vitamin lies within the way it is processed by the body. If you take too much, your body doesn\u2019t get rid of it right away. Instead, \u201clevels can remain high for weeks to months, even if intake stops,\u201d Vocca notes. This is where taking one of these vitamins without a true deficiency may go wrong.<\/p>\n Are fat-soluble vitamins safe?<\/p>\n They absolutely can be, when taken under the direction of a healthcare provider and\/or dietitian. \u201cSupplementing with fat-soluble vitamins is appropriate when a diagnosed deficiency exists, or with certain medical conditions, such as celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatitis,\u201d explains Vocca. It may also be beneficial for those on restrictive diets or during specific life stages, such as during pregnancy or breastfeeding, she adds.<\/p>\n Always consult your physician before adding a vitamin or supplement to your routine. They can run the proper tests to see if you have a deficiency.<\/p>\n Signs of vitamin toxicity<\/p>\n Toxicity\u2014the point at which the body is storing too much of a fat-soluble vitamin\u2014is more likely to happen from taking too many vitamins<\/a> than from getting nutrition from food alone, Vocca notes. \u201cIf levels become too high, they don\u2019t drop quickly. It can take weeks to months for the body to normalize,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n Symptoms of toxicity vary greatly in type and severity, but Vocca says they may include:<\/p>\n Severe nausea<\/p>\n Vomiting<\/p>\n Dizziness<\/p>\n Joint pain<\/p>\n Kidney damage<\/p>\n In severe cases, liver damage, coma, or death<\/p>\n Toxicity is most likely to happen with vitamins A and E, according to our experts. Vitamin A toxicity, specifically, is referred to as hypervitaminosis<\/a>. \u201cVitamin A and E share an absorption and transport pathway. Large amounts of one can shift the body\u2019s demand for the other,\u201d Vocca explains. In other words, too much of one or the other may throw off their intertwined process and cause issues.<\/p>\n For instance, children who accidentally ingest their parents\u2019 vitamin A supplements may experience acute toxicity<\/a>. Long-term intake of too much vitamin A, especially exceeding 8000 retinol activity equivalents (RAEs), may cause toxicity, Jiang adds. Side effects of hypervitaminosis, specifically, include dry skin, hair loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, hypercalcemia (high calcium), impaired bone health, and liver damage.<\/a><\/p>\n Symptoms of vitamin E toxicity<\/a> may not be noticeable until daily intake goes over 1,000 milligrams, Jiang notes. Research has found<\/a> an increased mortality rate among those who take high doses of vitamin E supplements alone or with other antioxidants.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting that some fat-soluble vitamins may interfere with medications. \u201cFor example, vitamin K can decrease the effectiveness of anticoagulants (blood thinners),\u201d says Vocca. \u201cFat-soluble vitamins don\u2019t operate in isolation; they influence each other and balance matters just as much as intake.\u201d<\/p>\n The bottom line<\/p>\n While those prescribed fat-soluble vitamins should absolutely follow their physician\u2019s recommendations, be mindful of the amount you\u2019re getting. \u201cTaking these vitamins in supplement form can do more harm than good because the body cannot eliminate them quickly, and their ability to be stored and build up in the body makes them more likely to cause serious side effects,\u201d says Vocca. That\u2019s why \u201cfood-first approaches are safest,\u201d Vocca notes, and why it\u2019s important to eat a well-balanced diet. \u201cNutrients from whole foods are generally safer and more effective,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n If you believe you could have a fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, \u201calways talk to a healthcare professional before starting any supplements,\u201d Jian concludes.<\/p>\n Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read Fat-soluble vitamins are unlike water-soluble vitamins in that they are absorbed differently in the body.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":307179,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[7947,154378,637,163,85,46,1975,543,154379,154377],"class_list":{"0":"post-307178","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-content-type-news-explainer","9":"tag-contentid-c4b6ebf3-2e5b-455a-b2be-828b494b1260","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-il","13":"tag-israel","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-nutrition","16":"tag-read_time-4","17":"tag-shorttitle-dietitians-share-dangers-of-fat-soluble-vitamins"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/307179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}