When it comes to taking things that are good for us, such as vitamins, it is hard for people to accept that more is not necessarily better. It is true that too much of a good thing can have dire consequences and the same is true when it comes to vitamins and minerals.

Taking too much of something can have variable effects. For instance, people who have consumed large amounts of carrot juice have found that their palms turn a dull and yellowy orange. Although this may seem to be something that is harmless, there are those side effects that are not so harmless and overdosing on specific vitamins can have dire side effects. In fact, vitamin overdose in children can cause death.

More than 25,000 IUs, which is five times the recommended daily allowance, can cause liver damage, hair loss, headaches and blurred vision.

Taking more than 400mg a day, which is 200 times the recommended daily allowance, can cause numbness in the hands and mouth. Additionally, it can cause difficult in walking.

High doses of vitamin C may cause stomach upset ad diarrhea, but researchers say that there is no dangerous side effects of the vitamin. It was once believed that too much vitamin C may cause kidney stones, but researchers say that there is no evidence to fully support this.

The body creates Vitamin D naturally when the skin is exposed to the sun. However, simply sunbathing too much is not going to cause you to overdose. What will cause an overdose is taking more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D via supplements. Too much vitamin D can cause the build-up of calcium deposits in the muscles, which can also affect the heart.

Many doctors will prescribe large doses of Niacin to help lower cholesterol, usually 2,000mg, which is 100 times more than the recommended daily allowance. However, those patients on this large amount of niacin should be monitored for liver damage and jaundice caused by this large dosage.

Finally, iron is a vitamin that is particularly healthy and used to help increase red blood cell counts, especially in senior citizens. Menstruating women also take iron supplements as well. However, if you take more than 100mg, or 6 times the recommended daily allowance, this amount of iron may interfere with zinc absorption. Zinc is vital in the healing process and regulates the immune system.

The next time you pick up a bottle of vitamins thinking that more will be better, be certain to realize that taking more than the recommended daily allowance can often cause more problems than they can help.