Vitamin E overdose and poisoning

This is an automatically translated article.

Vitamin E is one of the 13 vitamins the body needs. When given in sufficient doses, blood vessels will be enlarged reducing the risk of blockage caused by blood clots. However, this vitamin is fat-soluble, so there is still a risk of harm to the body. Following are the notes for you to avoid overdose and vitamin e poisoning.

1. Vitamin E needs with health

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cells from the development of free radicals. This is a by-product of cellular reactions and activities. However, vitamin E is not completely safe if used incorrectly.
Many people take vitamin E supplements with the aim of preventing heart and blood vessel arrhythmias. Others take supplements to slow the development of Alzheimer's disease. They also suggest that vitamin E protects against dysfunction of the body and affects the risk of prostate cancer . However, all of these are just theories that have not been proven or conclusive.
Many people have overdosed on vitamin E but have not had any harmful problems. But not so that we subjectively use vitamin E bluff. You need to consult a doctor or consultant to know how much vitamin E your body needs.

Vitamin E là một chất chống oxy hóa bảo vệ tế bào khỏi sự phát triển của các gốc tự do
Vitamin E là một chất chống oxy hóa bảo vệ tế bào khỏi sự phát triển của các gốc tự do

2. Analysis of the composition of vitamin E

Vitamin E is a compound consisting of tocopherol and tocotrienol with similar biological effects. These compounds act as antioxidants that prevent lipid peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes. Plasma tocopherol concentrations will fluctuate with total plasma lipids. Normally alpha tocopherol in plasma is 5 - 20 mcg/mL.
If adults use high doses of vitamin E equivalent to 400-800 mg of alpha tocopherol per day, it can be for several months or years without showing any symptoms. Unless the body is weak and weak, it may cause fatigue, muscle pain or nausea and diarrhea.
Usually, people taking vitamin E overdose are at risk of bleeding if the dose is more than 1g / day. Therefore, people over 19 years of age should not take more than 1000 mg to ensure safety to avoid vitamin E poisoning. Some studies show that vitamin E overdose can become a cause of stroke and death.

3. Causes of vitamin E poisoning

Vitamin E is fat-soluble and induces an anti-oxidation reaction. We can get vitamin E naturally through vegetable oils, nuts, wheat, fish, green leafy vegetables.
Although in the 13 essential vitamins, there is vitamin E, but it blocks the ability to absorb vitamin A and vitamin K. Combined with an overdose of vitamin E, the body will not be able to metabolize it in time but accumulate in fat. . When the amount of vitamin E is stored for a long time in the body, it will gradually become a toxin that is dangerous to our health.

Khi lượng vitamin E được trữ lại lâu ngày trong cơ thể sẽ dần trở thành độc tố gây nguy hiểm đến sức khỏe của chúng ta
Khi lượng vitamin E được trữ lại lâu ngày trong cơ thể sẽ dần trở thành độc tố gây nguy hiểm đến sức khỏe của chúng ta

4. Manifestations of vitamin E poisoning

Vitamin E toxicity can be severe or mild depending on the symptoms. For example:
Nausea Headache Diarrhea Abdominal cramps Fatigue Mild symptoms such as fatigue and headache will appear quickly when You take high doses of vitamin E. However, it depends on the health and the individual's ability to have symptoms at the same time if the person is in poor health.
Before the problem of vitamin E poisoning becomes serious, you need to actively find solutions to reduce the risk of complications. Pay attention if you notice some of the following symptoms:
Excessive bleeding Hemorrhagic stroke This symptom can occur within a few days after you overdose on vitamin E. So you need to pay attention and treat early treatment to avoid danger to life.

Đau đầu, buồn nôn là những biểu hiện thường thấy của ngộ độc vitamin E
Đau đầu, buồn nôn là những biểu hiện thường thấy của ngộ độc vitamin E

5. Guide to solving vitamin E poisoning

Vitamin E poisoning is extremely dangerous and you need help from a doctor to get out of danger soon. When detecting any unusual symptoms, you should go to the nearest medical facility for treatment and monitoring. If you prolong the time that the toxin is released, there is a risk of stroke and rapid death.
To treat vitamin E poisoning, you need to know the concentration of vitamin E in the serum to reduce the dose or stop for a while until the indicators return to a safe level. For adults, serum vitamin E levels should be 5.5 - 7 mg/L.
When more severe manifestations occur, you need medical intervention as soon as possible. It may be a blood transfusion or surgery to reduce the amount of blood vessel damage caused by the poisoning.
Thus, vitamin E can prevent harmful blood clots and is good for health when adults consume 15mg per day. But you need to pay attention to use the right dose to avoid poisoning and endangering your life.
If you have any questions related to the topic of nutrition for the body that need advice from a doctor, you can leave your question in the ASK VINMEC DOCTOR section directly on the hospital website. Your question will be sent to the doctor and you will receive a consultation as soon as possible!

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Reference sources: merckmanuals.com, msdmanuals.com, insider.com, medscape.com
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