Take your vitamins - that''s common advice for people who need a nutritional boost.
But popping pills may not always be the best way to get more variety in your diet. It''s easy to over-consume vitamin tablets, or to ignore their side effects. We spoke to a doctor to find out more.
Calcium tablets, multivitamins, vitamin D… lots of us take a pill or two each morning. During the worst of Taiwan’s COVID outbreak, sales of vitamin C and D grew by 40% year-on-year.
Shen Tsai-ying
Pharmacist
Especially when people get a vaccine and feel some discomfort – they take vitamin C to alleviate that.
Taking vitamins is seen as both prevention and cure by many people. But this doctor warns that taking too many vitamins can be dangerous.
Dr. Lo Chia-ling
Taiwan Adventist Hospital
Vitamin C is actually a soluble vitamin. That means when you ingest it, if you don’t take enough water at the same time, it increases your risk of kidney stones. Active vitamin D, when taken in high quantities, can cause a risk of hypercalcaemia.
There are hundreds of vitamins and minerals in shops, but soluble tablets are especially risky.
Dr. Lo Chia-ling
Taiwan Adventist Hospital
Vitamin C is an acidic substance, in fact, so if you regularly drink these acidic drinks, it can be an irritant for people with more sensitive tooth enamel or sensitive stomach lining.
There are ways to get your vitamins that aren’t pills. Sun exposure helps your body create vitamin D. Berries contain lots of vitamin C. This doctor advises a balanced diet as the first port of call to avoid unwanted side effects.
