Q1.
What will happen if I take excess amount of any of the minerals or vitamins?
Answer
Nutrients help only in the right amount. Too little causes a deficiency disease; too much can itself make a person unwell.
| Amount | What follows | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Too little | Deficiency disease — a non-communicable disease | Scurvy (vitamin C), anaemia (iron), goitre (iodine) — learnt in Grade 6 |
| Right amount | Normal growth and normal working of the body | Supplied by a balanced diet |
| Too much | The extra is either passed out or stored, and a stored excess can harm | Excess vitamin A can cause headache and harm the liver; excess vitamin D raises calcium in the blood and can damage the kidneys; excess iron is toxic |
Why it happens: vitamins B and C dissolve in water, so a moderate excess leaves the body in the urine. Vitamins A, D, E and K dissolve in fat and, like most minerals, are stored in the body. Anything stored can build up, and a large stored amount begins to interfere with the organ that holds it.
Tip: a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains supplies these nutrients in the right amounts on its own. Tablets and supplements are medicines — they are worth taking only when a doctor says a particular nutrient is short.