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Digestive System

Metabolism and Nutrition

Is it possible to have an overabundance of vitamins?

Excessive intake of vitamins may cause health complications as serious as vitamin deficiencies. The clinical term for excessive intake of vitamins is hypervitaminosis. It occurs when the dietary intake of a vitamin exceeds the body’s ability to store, utilize, or excrete the vitamin. Hypervitaminosis is most common among the fat-soluble vitamins because the excessive quantities of the vitamins may be stored in lipid tissues. Water-soluble vitamins do not accumulate in the body since they are excreted in urine.