Can you have to many vitamins?

Answer 1

One can have too much Vitamin A and too much Iron. It is better to get Vitamin A from Beta-Carotene, and then the body converts it to Vitamin A as needed. 10,000 IU/day is the maximum recommended amount of A, and a good 'Optimal' vitamin will have half of that, or very little but a lot of beta-carotene (around 14,000 IU). Too much Vitamin A will harm the liver and turn the skin yellow-ish.

Too much iron is what has caused a few childrens deaths after they thought the Multi-Vitamins were candy and ate too many. Now it is rare to see much iron in Vitamins, but menstruating or pregnant woman need to supplement their iron intake or they will become anemic and lack normal energy. The maximum is 45mg/day, as found in some pre-natal vitamins. Too much iron will turn the tongue black.

Excessive amounts of most other vitamins will go straight through you. If you are peeing clear instead of yellow, it means you need more vitamins and to eat more dark vegetables.

Another sign of lack of vitamins is cracks at the corners of the mouth, little red spots on the back of the arms (=need more B vitamins), and easily bruising for no obvious reason (=need more Vit C and Zinc). Cramping in the calves or other muscles is lack of potassium or calcium.