Vitamins can be too much of a good thing

Recently, an old friend from Mizzou was visiting me and noticed the bottles of vitamin pills strewn around my bathroom.

You're just a supplement whore, he admonished, as only an old college friend could get away with.

But I have to admit: Promiscuous, as charged.

I realized I needed professional help. So I called on Dr. John La Puma, a favorite Healthspan consultant and co-author of "The Real Age Diet."

Supplement wisely, seemed to be the counsel from Dr. John. That's not such an easy concept to grasp when you are as indulgent as I am. I needed more guidelines. Will just any multi do?

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, said Dr. La Puma. This is especially true of fat-soluble vitamins. That includes vitamins A, E, D and K. These are vitamins that are stored in body fat and not easily eliminated. They can build up in our systems and even reach toxic levels.

That's not to suggest that these fat-soluble vitamins are not worth our respect. Although vitamin A is not the panacea it was once thought, it is still important in our diets. It provides support for vision, teeth, gums, hair, skin and those frayed nerves. But Dr. La Puma warns that taking more than 8,000 international units per day over time can be quite dangerous, causing, among other things, osteoporosis and hip fractures in men.

Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin for us to all consider, especially as we age. It works in tandem with vitamin C as an important antioxidant and anti-aging ally.

It is getting a lot of study because of the promising research (but as of yet unconfirmed) on prostate cancer, dementia and macular degeneration. It is impossible to get all your daily requirements of E from food. So a once-a-day supplement of 400 IUs is a good idea.

Vitamin D is an interesting one. It is getting a lot of press lately for its anticarcinogenic and immune-boosting promise. What is clearly established is its benefit when taken with calcium. It aids in the absorption of calcium and this combo is a powerful weapon against arthritis and osteoporosis.

Mostly, we get D from sunshine and fortified milk. However, as we age, our bodies are less able to utilize sunlight to make active vitamin D, so supplementation becomes increasingly important. La Puma suggests a supplement of between 400 and 800 IU of D per day.

The remaining fat-soluble vitamin to consider is K. According to La Puma, we should not supplement this one as long as we eat enough leafy green vegetables. Supplements of K can cross react with high doses of vitamin E and Warfarin, a medicine prescribed for stroke patients.

Like all nutritional experts, Dr. La Puma will stand up for getting your vitamins as much as possible from whole foods.

The fat-soluble vitamins that we eat are mostly found in fatty foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts and milk. Green or yellow vegetables and vegetable oil are also good sources.

He states: "If you get most of your nutrition from food and make up the rest through a balanced program of supplements, you won't need to worry about toxicity from accumulated excesses."

Have we gained enough wisdom in order to supplement properly?

Sorry, there is more. What about minerals? Water-soluble vitamins? Next week we will endeavor to become wiser.

Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh is a Cape Girardeau native who is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience helping individuals and couples with their emotional and relationship issues. He has a private practice in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, Calif. Contact him at mseabaugh@semissourian.com.