Vitamin pills without prescription detrimental to health

Regular consumption of vitamin pills without consulting a doctor may be detrimental to your health, according to experts.

Vitamin pills may help people with deficiencies, the elderly or pregnant women, but research has shown that overdose may result in problems like digestive issues, kidney stones and even heart disease. The pills are also not a substitute for a healthy diet.

Without medical supervision, using multivitamin pills or calcium on a regular basis can have negative health consequences. Taking too much of these supplements might result in overdosing, which can harm organs over time and cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, experts said.

These supplements may also interfere with prescribed medicines, reducing their effectiveness or perhaps resulting in negative side effects. Taking too many multivitamins might throw off the body’s natural nutrient balance, sometimes resulting in imbalances or deficiencies. Nutritional imbalances can be made worse by specific vitamins or minerals interfering with the usage or absorption of other nutrients, they added.

Multivitamins should not be consumed regularly without confirming the deficiency through blood tests, as it can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients or medications, or can even become toxic if too much is taken for a long period.

A person’s age, gender, eating habits and pre-existing medical issues are important factors to consider when deciding if they require these supplements.

It is always recommended to get nutrients from a diverse and balanced diet whenever possible. While supplements may be necessary for specific population or under certain circumstances, they should complement, not replace, a healthy lifestyle, experts said.