Are there any vitamins or minerals where more is always better?
- Jebus
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Are there any vitamins or minerals where more is always better?
I have read that in the case of for example protein and folic acid one must be careful not to get too much. Are there any examples where more is better or is anything above the daily recommendation always a waste of money and resources? The only answers that come up when I Google this are concerning excess vitamins/minerals from supplements.
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3. Watch Earthlings (Ethics)
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- brimstoneSalad
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Re: Are there any vitamins or minerals where more is always better?
The too much protein thing is kind of a myth. It's only harmful if you're in ketosis and you aren't eating enough carbohydrates to fuel your energy needs (I often recommend relatively low carb diets, but not ketogenically low ones). Or you have organ failure or some kind of disease that makes you not able to process it.
Although there is good protein and bad protein; too much bad protein is any more than you absolutely need. When it comes to plant protein, you don't need to worry. There are only a few plant foods that are high in bad proteins.
When it comes to any vitamin or mineral, you can pretty much always get too much and be put in danger by that. It can either unbalance other minerals or vitamins in your body, being absorbed instead and blocking absorption, or form stones or even direct toxicity from an overdose.
Even B-12, one of the least toxic ones there is compared to its RDI, can cause acne-like symptoms if you eat meany thousands of times the RDI every day (it varies by person).
Eating whole foods, it's functionally impossible to OD on most vitamins. Due to bulk, you just can't physically eat that much at once, and if you did, you wouldn't absorb that much.
Vitamins aren't really that scary, though, you just have to not go insane with them. Our bodies are pretty good at up or down regulating absorption and preferring one mineral over another as long as we're within a reasonable range (which is well within the range of modest supplementation). There's no need for perfect balance, you just need to keep the elephants off the other side of the teeter totter.
Although there is good protein and bad protein; too much bad protein is any more than you absolutely need. When it comes to plant protein, you don't need to worry. There are only a few plant foods that are high in bad proteins.
When it comes to any vitamin or mineral, you can pretty much always get too much and be put in danger by that. It can either unbalance other minerals or vitamins in your body, being absorbed instead and blocking absorption, or form stones or even direct toxicity from an overdose.
Even B-12, one of the least toxic ones there is compared to its RDI, can cause acne-like symptoms if you eat meany thousands of times the RDI every day (it varies by person).
Eating whole foods, it's functionally impossible to OD on most vitamins. Due to bulk, you just can't physically eat that much at once, and if you did, you wouldn't absorb that much.
Vitamins aren't really that scary, though, you just have to not go insane with them. Our bodies are pretty good at up or down regulating absorption and preferring one mineral over another as long as we're within a reasonable range (which is well within the range of modest supplementation). There's no need for perfect balance, you just need to keep the elephants off the other side of the teeter totter.
- Jebus
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Re: Are there any vitamins or minerals where more is always better?
Do you think this is something people who eat lots of nuts, grains, and vegetables should be concerned about. It's very difficult to get information on how much is too much. Is this due to a lack of research? Perhaps in the future, the FDA will also included maximum daily requirements.brimstoneSalad wrote: ↑Mon Apr 10, 2017 12:48 amWhen it comes to any vitamin or mineral, you can pretty much always get too much and be put in danger by that.
How to become vegan in 4.5 hours:
1.Watch Forks over Knives (Health)
2.Watch Cowspiracy (Environment)
3. Watch Earthlings (Ethics)
Congratulations, unless you are a complete idiot you are now a vegan.
1.Watch Forks over Knives (Health)
2.Watch Cowspiracy (Environment)
3. Watch Earthlings (Ethics)
Congratulations, unless you are a complete idiot you are now a vegan.
- brimstoneSalad
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Re: Are there any vitamins or minerals where more is always better?
Not to my knowledge, except for selenium from Brazil nuts. That can kill you if you eat too many.
Most nuts people typically eat are safe. There may be some unusual foods that are a risk that we don't know about. Which is why eating cultivated things is safer than picking around the forest (like if you were eating acorns or some random seed you found). And not mono-mealing. Eating a variety is much safer and will usually be more nutritious than eating a lot of one single thing.
As to maximum, LD50 can be a hint, but that won't tell you much about long term exposure. I'm afraid research on this is sparse. It would be nice if we had more information, but it's not of great scientific value because by all appearances just eating a variety seems to be safe enough. OD-ing on some vitamin or mineral from a variety of whole plant foods would be like being struck by lightning during a shark attack.