I bought a jar of multivitamins and saw that some vitamins contain more than the RDA. Is that healthy?
Anonymously
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) means: the amount you need in a day to prevent diseases. Since you also get vitamins with your diet, with such a vitamin pill you will soon have more than the RDA. It is known how unhealthy that is for some vitamins, but by no means all. It is known that too much vitamin A and beta-carotene (provitamin A) increases the risk of lung cancer. Research has also shown that those who take vitamin preparations daily for years with the full RDA or even more than that, have a chance of dying a little earlier. In any case, it does not apply: the more the better.
Research has shown that the RDA of vitamin D has risen in recent years. Supplements such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper may well lower the ADH. The RDA is therefore not the cure, but we don’t have any better. My advice: don’t take those pills every day, it’s not necessary, and don’t take more than one. It is better not to take multis with many times the RDA.
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