The Health Suite<\/a> , said: “Just because a supplement is fashionable or appears in an influencer\u2019s morning routine does not mean you need it or that it is safe for you.\n<\/p>\n\n “More is not always better with vitamins and minerals.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Some accumulate in the body, some cause harm at high doses and others can interfere with important medicines.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Before copying somebody\u2019s supplement routine, check what each product contains and whether you actually need it.”\n<\/p>\n
\n A key risk is that the same ingredient can appear in a multivitamin, a wellness blend and an individual tablet, leading to unintentional overdosing.\n<\/p>\n
6 supplements to check before taking<\/p>\n
Vitamin B6<\/p>\n
\n This vitamin is commonly found in multivitamins, B-complex tablets and energy-boosting supplements.\n<\/p>\n
\n The NHS warns that taking 200mg or more daily can cause peripheral neuropathy, which leads to numbness or loss of feeling in the arms and legs.\n<\/p>\n
\n Although symptoms often improve after stopping the supplement, the damage can sometimes be permanent.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “People may unknowingly combine several products containing B6.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Persistent tingling, burning or numbness should not be ignored.”\n<\/p>\n
\n The NHS advises not to exceed 10mg of vitamin B6 daily from supplements unless directed by a doctor.\n<\/p>\n
Iron<\/p>\n
\n Iron can be valuable for a confirmed deficiency.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “Speak to a healthcare professional rather than self-diagnosing.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Iron deficiency may require tests and its underlying cause may also need investigating.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Adult men need 8.7mg per day, while women aged 19 to 49 need 14.8mg.\n<\/p>\n
\n Doses above 20mg can cause constipation, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, and very high amounts can be fatal, especially for children.\n<\/p>\n
High-dose vitamin D<\/p>\n
\n Adults and children over four years old should consider taking 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily during autumn and winter, but long-term excessive intake can cause calcium build-up, damaging the kidneys, heart and bones.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “The message here is not to stop taking vitamin D.\n<\/p>\n
\n “It is to check the strength on the bottle.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Some prescribed high-dose courses are taken weekly, so confusing that with a daily instruction can be dangerous.”\n<\/p>\n
Vitamin A<\/p>\n
\n Often listed as retinol in multivitamins and fish liver oil, vitamin A is stored in the body and can cause harm if taken in excess.\n<\/p>\n
\n The NHS advises not to exceed an average of 1.5mg (1,500 micrograms) daily from food and supplements over many years, as it may increase the risk of bone fractures.\n<\/p>\n
\n Pregnant women are advised to avoid vitamin A supplements and liver products unless specifically told otherwise by a doctor.\n<\/p>\n
St John\u2019s wort<\/p>\n
\n A herbal remedy for low mood, St John\u2019s wort can interact with many medications, including hormonal contraceptives, antidepressants, blood thinners and drugs for epilepsy, heart conditions and cancer.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “Natural does not mean interaction-free.”\n<\/p>\n
Biotin<\/p>\n
\n Commonly used for hair and nail health, high-dose biotin can interfere with lab tests, including those for thyroid function and heart attacks.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “The concern here is that the supplement can distort the test result.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Tell the clinician taking your blood about any hair, skin or nail supplements, including the dose and when you last took them.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Recommended reading :\n<\/p>\n
Check before throwing anything away<\/p>\n
\n People should not suddenly stop taking prescribed supplements or medications.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Maula said: “The safest approach is not to bin everything.\n<\/p>\n
\n “It is to understand why you are taking each product, check the combined dose and ask a pharmacist or doctor if you are uncertain.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Always include supplements when telling your doctor or pharmacist what you take.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Do you take supplements or vitamins in moderation? Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"High doses of certain vitamins and minerals can cause nerve damage, stomach issues and interfere with blood test…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":623170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[134,111,139,556,69],"class_list":["post-623169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nutrition","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/623170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}