Sometimes in our pursuit of health, we think more is better. “If Vitamin D is good for us then we should megadose our daily allowance.” And the same goes for antioxidants, Vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, right?
NOPE. WITH VITAMINS, MORE IS NOT BETTER
In the case of vitamins and minerals, too much of a good thing may in fact be damaging to our health.
Dietary supplements are called “supplements” for a reason. Supplements are meant to be taken in tandem with food or to augment our diets. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control have shown that we aren’t getting all of the nutrients we need from food. We don’t tend to eat enough fruits and veggies. So, supplements can play an important role in filling the nutrition gaps in our diet.
A multivitamin can be that insurance policy to make sure you get all the nutrients that you need. But if one multivitamin a day is good for you, it doesn’t mean that two or three multivitamins are better.
WHERE IS MEGADOSING MOST COMMONLY SEEN?
Traditional vitamins are extremely guilty of megadosing. If you’ve ever looked been in the vitamin aisles at CVS or Walgreens, your head was probably spinning from all of the options. All of the vitamins you see lining the shelves are competing for space and your attention. They have to differentiate themselves somehow. And one way that companies like to do that is to offer formulas with absurd amounts of vitamins.
WHAT IS A MEGADOSE?
According to the Harvard University Medical School, megadoses are generally doses many times higher than the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) sets guidelines for what is safe to take. These include the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), which recommend what nutrient intakes should be for healthy people. These values include the recommended daily allowance or RDAs. They also include Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL), which outline the maximum daily amounts of a nutrient you can take that is unlikely to cause adverse health effects. While some nutrients, can be taken safely in high doses, some can be extremely toxic.
For more info, read this article: What You’ll Need To Know About The FDA Label Change
MEGADOSING WITH WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
A common misnomer is that it’s hard to get too much of water-soluble vitamins, which our bodies tend to eliminate when taken in excess, this isn’t entirely true. Too much of the water soluble Vitamin B6, for instance, can lead to nerve damage. Vitamin C in excess will lead to stomach upset, and too much Vitamin D could cause kidney damage amongst other things.
Ever wonder why your pee turns fluorescent yellow?
It’s filled with water-soluble vitamins that your body can’t use— namely Vitamin B. By flushing these out, your body is trying to tell you something… it can only use so much.
MEGADOSING WITH NON WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
On the other hand, non water-soluble vitamins can’t be eliminated from the body so easily and if too much is stored in the body toxicity issues can develop. Too much Vitamin A, for instance, can lead to liver damage, hair loss, dry skin and even birth defects. It’s not something to mess around with.
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO MEGADOSE YOUR VITAMINS?
Unless specifically recommended by your doctor, it’s really never okay for you to be taking megadoses of supplements. Ideally, maintaining a healthy diet and being compliant with a daily vitamin routine that includes a well-balanced multivitamin should suffice. If you have specific needs, such as wanting to take more vitamins for hair, skin and nails, or for menopause, then take a specific formula that meets the RDA requirements but doesn’t go crazy on the doses.
HOW TESPO VITAMINS ARE DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL VITAMINS
At Tespo, we don’t megadose. Our formulas are based on a value system that is completely transparent. What you see is what you get. We use only the active ingredients and premium nutrients in order to provide vitamins in their purest form; liquid. Unlike pills, there are no unnecessary manufacturing agents hidden under the “other” or “inactive ingredient” list. Our formulas are designed by experts and created to give your body only what it needs, with no unnecessary additives, and absolutely no megadoses.
Get all the vitamins you need in doses that never exceed toxicity with Tespo’s Personalized Pods.
All Tespo’s vitamin pods are compatible with the Tespo Connect Dispenser