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If your child eats too many gummy vitamins, they most likely will experience mild symptoms, but you should still call Poison Control immediately. nadisja/Getty Images
While indisputably more appetizing than regular vitamins, gummy vitamins make it hard for children to differentiate between them and candy. This can cause unintended overconsumption. In fact, poison control centers report getting phone calls every day about children eating large amounts of gummy vitamins - sometimes 20, 30, or even 40 at a time. Here's what happens when you or a child takes too many gummy vitamins, and if you need to seek medical attention. Can you overdose on gummy vitamins?It is possible to take too many gummy vitamins, but often this does not warrant medical attention. Gummy multivitamins contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, some of which are toxic in large doses and others that are not. These include:
General advice: It's important to note all gummy vitamins differ in terms of the recommended dosage. To know how many gummy vitamins are too many, follow the label instructions closely. Here's a breakdown of common vitamins, at what amount they become toxic, and about how many gummy vitamins it would take to reach that toxicity point. It's important to note that this is just an example using two types of multivitamins ( Nature Made Kids First for children, and Nature Made Multivitamin gummies for adults), but each multivitamin varies in terms of how much and what types of vitamins they contain. Therefore, how many vitamins it will take to reach toxic amounts varies depending on the product.
What happens if you eat too many gummy vitamins?The side effects you may experience depends on what sort of supplements are in your gummy vitamins and how many you take. Common symptoms for a vitamin overdose are:
"Typically, you would probably not see any effects from a one-time overdose but should still call poison control," says Susan B. Daly, MD, FAAP a pediatrician from Be Pediatrics in Savannah, Georgia. What to do if you or your child has eaten too many gummy vitaminsIf you think you or your child has taken too many gummy vitamins, here are some steps Daly recommends you take:
If your child has consistently been taking above the recommended dosage of gummy vitamins for a long period of time, they may develop chronic toxicity, which warrants a trip to the doctor. Signs of chronic toxicity include:
Insider's takeawayWhile the number of vitamins and minerals in children's gummy vitamins shouldn't cause a fatal overdose, caregivers should always treat ingesting too many vitamins as an emergency situation and immediately call Poison Control for Assistance. You should also keep gummy vitamins out of reach of children. Related articles from Health Reference:
Read the original article on Insider How many one a day gummies should I take?How To Take. Directions: Adults and children 4 years of age and older: Fully chew two gummies daily.
How many vitamins gummies is too many?Just four gummies that contain 10 mg of niacin per serving puts you at the upper limit, above which you could experience “flushing” (burning, red, tingling sensation on skin), nausea, or vomiting. Too much iron can give you stomach pains at best and cause convulsions or be fatal at worst.
How often should I eat vitamin gummies?Just so you know, adult gummy multivitamins are totally a thing, so you can indulge in your childhood passion for them while still making sure your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs. Just remember that, although they're tasty, you'll have to stick to enjoying only two of these each day.
Is it worth taking vitamin gummies?Research has found that most gummy vitamins don't seem to have the components they claim to contain. There's little proof that they can compete with traditional supplements in terms of nutrition. Gummies might also be made unevenly, so you get too much or not enough of the vitamin.
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