Over-the-counter supplements present 'substantial risk' for the uninformed

When it comes to taking extra doses of vitamins, the risks might outweigh the rewards.
A 54-year-old Canadian man found this out firsthand when he discovered he had significant kidney damage — not due to disease, but due to the high doses of vitamin D he'd been taking daily for the past two years, Science Daily reported.
The man's case, first recorded in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is a strange one; he was prescribed over-the-counter vitamin D supplement drops by a naturopathic doctor, even though he didn't have a history of vitamin D deficiency or bone loss, which vitamin D can help with. He nonetheless took about 10 times the recommended daily dose for a healthy adult, which over time led to a buildup of calcium in his blood.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Although small doses of many over-the-counter drugs can be harmless and even helpful, the prevalence of these types of medications and unsupervised home remedies can pose "a substantial risk to uninformed patients," wrote Dr. Bourne Auguste, the author of the CMAJ article. So it's becoming increasingly important for both patients and doctors to be "better informed about the risks" of taking too much vitamin D.
Read more about this unusual case at Science Daily.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
July 26 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include Joe Biden's memoir, PBS funding, and an Obama-Trump comparison
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellation
Cartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
At least 12 dead in Thai-Cambodian clashes
Speed Read Both countries accused the other of firing first
-
US and Japan strike trade deal
Speed Read Trump signed what he's calling the 'largest deal ever made'
-
28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
-
Israeli gunfire kills dozens at Gaza aid site
Speed Read The U.N. estimates that at least 875 Palestinians have died while trying to access food in recent months
-
Rubio says US brokered end to Syria conflict
Speed Read Syria's defense ministry was targeted in Israeli attacks on the capital
-
Trump threatens Russia with 'severe tariffs'
speed read The president also agreed to sell NATO advanced arms for Ukraine
-
IDF blames 'error' for strike on Gaza water line
Speed Read Israeli forces attack Palestinians, including children, collecting water in central Gaza
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks