Calcium overdose - Too much calcium

Mar 2014   Home › Low blood calcium › Porous bones › Too much calcium and calcium overdose

Calcium is an essential dietary mineral required for many body functions, including the building of skeletal structure.

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Too much calcium intake in the form of supplements, antacids and fortified foods can result in overdose. Natural food sources do not cause overdose conditions. High doses of vitamin D can lead to excess calcium absorption from the intestines.

The gastrointestinal tract normally limits the
calcium absorption. Frequent high dose intravenous administration of the mineral can also result in overdose. Hypercalcemia is one of the several overdose effects. Some of the side effects associated with too much intake are, stomach ache, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, formation of kidney stones, polyuria, giddiness, headache, irregular pulse, hypertension, neuromuscular Dysfunction and coma.

Possible causes of calcium overdose

Accidental or intentional intake of too much of calcium exceeding the upper tolerance levels (over 2,500 milligrams) in the form of supplements, syrups, antacids or fortified foods can cause many serious health problems.
Related posts: Nutritional deficiency diseases <> Mineral deficiency diseases <> Calcium deficiency diseases
Use of thiazide diuretics can increase the levels of the mineral in the body. Parathyroid gland disorders and sarcoidosis increase the level of the mineral in the blood.

Supplement overdose

Pediatric supplements in the form of tablets and syrup should be out of reach of children. As they are made palatable by addition of sweeteners and flavoring agents young children may overdose themselves.

Too much of antacids

Frequent and too much use of antacids containing the mineral can lead to high levels of calcium build up in the body and cause milk alkali syndrome.

Too much vitamin D

For efficient absorption of the mineral in the intestine, adequate levels of vitamin D is essential. Too much intake of vitamin D can lead to increased absorption of the mineral.

Related posts: Vitamin deficiency <> Protein deficiency <> Fat deficiency <> Carbohydrate deficiency

Symptoms of calcium overdose

Many of the symptoms of hypercalcemia are seen in cases of too much intake of the mineral. In chronic cases kidney stones may be formed. The normal renal function may get affected and lead to kidney failure. Some of the symptoms are:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Depression
• Coma
• Muscle pain
• Bone pain
• Weakness
• Polyuria (frequent urination)

Treatment for calcium overdose

Medical attention must be sought in cases of consumption of too much of the mineral. Treatment starts with stopping of supplements of the mineral and gastric lavage is done. If the supplement has been taken recently, stomach may be emptied to remove the remaining unabsorbed mineral.

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References:
1.Vatanparast, H., D. A. Bailey, A. D. Baxter-Jones and S. J. Whiting. 2010. Calcium requirements for bone growth in Canadian boys and girls during adolescence. British Journal of Nutrition: 1-6.
2.Khosla, S., S. Amin and E. Orwoll. 2008. Osteoporosis in men. Endocrine Reviews 29(4): 441-64.
3.Harwood, R. H., O. Sahota, K. Gaynor, T. Masud and D. J. Hosking. 2004. A randomised, controlled comparison of different calcium and vitamin D supplementation regimens in elderly women after hip fracture: The Nottingham Neck of Femur (NONOF) Study. Age and Ageing 33(1): 45-51.

Current topic in nutrition, deficiency and diseases:
Too much calcium and overdose.

Excess zinc side effects - Zinc overdose symptoms

Home › Zinc in nutrition › Zinc excess and overdose

Excess zinc and overdose levels have adverse and serious effects on our health. From food sources, people can rarely reach overdose levels.

However intake of supplements in excess and use of zinc products can be harmful, leading to copper deficiency and resultant neurological damage. As specific minerals may serve different functions in the body, the symptoms of excess or low levels may be numerous.

USDA Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc is 11 mg/day for men and 8 mg/day for women. The recent median intake of this trace mineral from food in United States is approximately 14 mg/day for men and 11 mg/day for women. For an adult, FDA approved Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of supplements of this trace mineral is 40 mg/day and consumption in excess of this level can pose certain risks.

Effects of zinc overdose

gastrointestinal distress
The immediate acute effects of overdose of this trace mineral are metallic taste in the mouth, headache, epigastric pain, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and related gastrointestinal distress.
Copper and iron metabolism
Zinc overdose suppresses copper and iron absorption and leads to nutritional deficiency of these trace minerals, anemia and neurological problems.
Overdose of 200-300 mg/day has been found to induce copper deficiency and connected neurological problems.
Prolonged use of its supplements ranging about 150 mg per day, apart from low copper status and decreased iron function, can result in red blood cell microcytosis, a type of anemia characterized by small red blood cells.
Neutropenia, a condition of an abnormally low number of neutrophils (white blood cells) may also result due to excess and overdose of the mineral.
Urinary and genital complications
In a trial on elderly men, an intake at 80 mg/day has shown increased urinary complications and hospitalizations.
Taking excess of this mineral in the form of  supplements may cause its elevated levels in prostate gland and may increase the risk factors of enlarged prostrate gland or prostate cancer.
Zinc and medications
This mineral may interfere with the absorption of antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, ofloxacin, quinolone, trovafloxacin, sparfloxacin, tetracycline, demeclocycline and minocycline.
There is interaction in the gastrointestinal tract when both the mineral and antibiotic are taken together. and the absorption of both antibiotic and the mineral is inhibited. Differing the intake time of the supplement by at least 2-4 hours before or after the intake of antibiotic may solve the problem.
Similarly its overdose interferes with the absorption of rheumatoid arthritis drug, penicillamine, and spacing the intake time by at least two hours helps in the absorption of both.

Suppression of immune response, loss of smell sense, decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and renal failure are some of the adverse effects of chronic overdose with its supplements.

Channels to excess zinc levels

• Taking its supplements in excess of the recommended dosage,
• eating or drinking acidic food from zinc containers or containers galvanized with this metal,
• swallowing things made of its metallic form,
• inhaling freshly formed zinc oxide fumes,
• ingestion through overuse of denture adhesive creams,
• nasal sprays containing this trace mineral,
• Frequent use of cold lozenges containing the trace mineral,
• accidental consumption of topical products containing zinc, 
• drinking well-water contaminated by zinc fertilizers,
• accumulation in patients with acute renal failure,
• haemochromatosis patients may accumulate excess zinc levels,

Consuming zinc in excess of one gram may prove to be fatal.

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Role in immunity
Current Nutrition Deficiency and Diseases' topic : Zinc overdose - Excess zinc

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Vitamin C overdose - Excess vitamin C

Home > Excess vitamin C- overdose

The value to decide whether it is excess or overdose of vitamin C is highly notional and very relative.

A person's age, gender, health condition, food habits, surroundings and many other factors decide whether the given quantity is excess overdose for him.
 To determine a quantity as excess of vitamin C is a controversial matter.
Though national health institutions of many countries have prescribed RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of ascorbic acid, it is being disputed by many research institutions.
The level may be sufficient for staving off scurvy and developing deficiency symptoms.
But to fully reap the benefits of ascorbic acid much higher intake is required.

Given below are some of the RDA values for comparison.

UK Food Standards Agency	75 mg/day
Health Canada	60 mg/day
World Health Organisation	45mg/day
US National Academy of Sciences	60-90 mg/day

The US Upper tolerable intake level for 25 years old person is 2000 mg/day.

Goat can synthesise ascorbic acid (enlarge) Most of the animals like dogs, cats and goats produce their requirement of vitamin C in their body.

Their production has been quantified in many studies.

When we arrive at a value corresponding to a man weighing 150 pounds it works out to be between 2-3 grams/day.

Excess overdose of ascorbic acid is excreted in urine.

Persons who are ill, old and under stress retain more of it.

The efficiency of ascorbic acid in increasing the immunity and fighting diseases is a proven one and it is most effective when taken at a dose close to the bowel tolerance level.

Hence levels beyond that may be considered as vitamin C overdose.

However this very value of excess could be anywhere between 4-15 gms per day.

The Nobel Laureate Dr.Linus Pauling, an advocate of high doses of it for good health was himself consuming 18 grams of ascorbic acid per day and he lived to be over 90 years.

However excess of vitamin C is not without any problems.
Stomach ache, flatulence and diarrhea are some of the problems noted with overdose of vitamin C.

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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Functions
Benefits
Toxicity
side effects 
Vitamin C foods - Sources.

Current topic:
Effects of excess and overdose of vitamin C.

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