Vitamins – Too Much of a Good Thing?

Serotonin is often referred to as the ‘feel good hormone’ because its level in our bodies has a strong influence on our mood and sense of well-being. The high incidence of emotional instability caused, in particular, by stress and poor diet and lifestyle has led to the development of a range of drugs, such as SSRI’s, to increase the body’s production of serotonin in all its pathways. However, too much can lead to a variety of disorders, such as anxiety, insomnia, gastro-intestinal problems and sexual dysfunction. In extreme cases the effects can be life-threatening.

But what of vitamin and mineral consumption when it is used in the form of supplements to address or prevent deficiency of these essential elements in our diet?  There are about sixteen minerals and fourteen vitamins that are considered to be essential to our bodies. Tables of RDA (recommended daily allowance) can be readily obtained and these will even generally give variable dosages according to age and/or sex. What they always fail to do is to distinguish between the widely differing requirements of people according to their occupation or other life circumstances. For example, a manual worker will have a need for much more iron than an office worker to assist in oxygen transport, or when the muscles are subjected to repeated strain magnesium will be called for. A pregnant woman will require additional calcium, as well as folic acid which helps to prevent birth defects. A job requiring a lot of mental application will benefit from B vitamins.

Every person has different nutritional requirements and this provides us with another example of the need for an individual approach to diet – one of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda.  It is impossible to toxify the system with excess vitamins or minerals when following a well balanced diet based on one’s constitutional type. Where remedies are called for these will be herbal and frequently act as foods. Avoidance of deficiencies does not need to be a guessing game.