Taking Too Much of a Supplement, Like Vitamin C or Iron, Could be Harmful

Popping a vitamin pill every morning is probably harmless, but it's important not to overdo certain supplements.

By Avery Hurt; Medically Reviewed by Dr. Ahmad Talha Azam
Mar 4, 2024 2:00 PMMar 6, 2024 3:38 PM
too many supplements
(Credit: Tim Masters/Shutterstock)

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Vitamin and mineral supplements can be helpful for people who don’t get enough necessary micronutrients in their diets, says a 2018 position statement by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

This includes some people with chronic health conditions, people who have problems absorbing nutrients, older people, and pregnant people. And almost three-quarters of Americans take nutritional supplements, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade organization representing supplement manufacturers.

How much of that supplement popping is necessary, or even a good idea, is debated, but most of us take some kind of vitamin or mineral supplement at least occasionally, and that’s mostly harmless. However, for some supplements, it’s possible to take too much.  

Can Taking Too Many Supplements Be Harmful?

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