Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Vitamin supplements have taken over the world. Over 52% of US citizens take some form of supplements. Although vitamin supplements are often believe to only have good effects they also can become toxic. So when should and should we not take vitamin supplements?
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📸 IG: instagram.com/clemens.steinek
🔬Twitter: twitter.com/CSteinek
First evidence that vitamins exist were found in the 18th century when James Lind treated Scurvy patients with fruits. In the 20th century vitamins were discovered. In humans, there are 13 vitamins. Vitamins have different roles in our cells. Vitamin A is important for our sight, Vitamin D regulates the metabolism of the bone and vitamin C and E are antioxidants. In the 1950s vitamin supplements were produced at a large scale.
Vitamin supplements can be very important for our bodies. However, we often do not need vitamin supplements as we take up enough vitamins through our diet. Excessive amounts of vitamin supplements can lead to vitamin toxicity. Vitamin toxicity means that we have taken up so much vitamins that they lead to unwanted effects. Vitamin supplements can lead to damages in the kidneys, high levels of calcium in the blood and systemic damages to organs (depending on the vitamin supplement and how long it was taken at what concentration).
Nonetheless, vitamin supplements are often important. Vitamin supplements can help to treat vitamin defficiencies. Vitamin B9 is also important during pregncancy and vitamin supplements can help there. Elderly people are advised to take vitamin D as it help to keep bones strong and critically ill patients could be helped with vitamin C supplements (in combination with other treatments.)
There are many vitamin supplements misconceptions. Vitamin supplements unfortunately do not help to treat heart disease or cancer. Vitamin supplements also do not help to slow down aging or prevent the flu.
References:
bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-020-01614-8
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S001236921551828X
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6039380
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2012.03008.x
cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4/full
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33206192
assets.speakcdn.com/Assets/2606/0e6994939_1518542503_847fullpaper2018jamavitamin-and-mineral-supplements-what-clinicians-need-to-know.pdf
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11657-019-0589-y
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23798048
The presented patient stories were adapted from published cases above.
Images:
Some pictures were derived from Servier Medical Art by Servier. You can find over 3000 free medical images here: smart.servier.com
Kidney biopsy by Nephron, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kidney stones by Kempf EK, CC BY-SA 3.0
Siege of Paris by Bundesarchiv, CC BY-SA 3.0 GER
Gloriole by Evrik, CC BY-SA 3.0
HE Staining by Calicut Medical College, CC BY-SA 4.0
Stock videos were derived from: videezy.com, pixabay.com or pexels.com
Music:
Title: Art of Silence by Uniq soundcloud.com/uniqofficial
Title: Punch Deck by promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/bkc-ethereal2 (CC BY 3.0)
Title: Black heat by Ross Budgen (CC BY 4.0)
Title: Filaments by Scott Buckley d (CC BY 3.0)
Title: Rudolph by Lukrembro soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Light Sting by Kevin MacLeod (CC By 4.0)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Title: Buddha by Kontekst
Genre and Mood: Hip Hop & Rap + Bright
Artist: incompetech.com
About Clemens Steinek:
CLEMENS STEINEK is a PhD student/youtuber (Sciencerely) who is currently conducting stem cell research in Germany.
Vitamin supplements have taken over the world. Over 52% of US citizens take some form of supplements. Although vitamin supplements are often believe to only have good effects they also can become toxic. So when should and should we not take vitamin supplements?
🔬 Subscribe for more awesome biomedical research: bit.ly/2SRMqhC
📸 IG: instagram.com/clemens.steinek
🔬Twitter: twitter.com/CSteinek
First evidence that vitamins exist were found in the 18th century when James Lind treated Scurvy patients with fruits. In the 20th century vitamins were discovered. In humans, there are 13 vitamins. Vitamins have different roles in our cells. Vitamin A is important for our sight, Vitamin D regulates the metabolism of the bone and vitamin C and E are antioxidants. In the 1950s vitamin supplements were produced at a large scale.
Vitamin supplements can be very important for our bodies. However, we often do not need vitamin supplements as we take up enough vitamins through our diet. Excessive amounts of vitamin supplements can lead to vitamin toxicity. Vitamin toxicity means that we have taken up so much vitamins that they lead to unwanted effects. Vitamin supplements can lead to damages in the kidneys, high levels of calcium in the blood and systemic damages to organs (depending on the vitamin supplement and how long it was taken at what concentration).
Nonetheless, vitamin supplements are often important. Vitamin supplements can help to treat vitamin defficiencies. Vitamin B9 is also important during pregncancy and vitamin supplements can help there. Elderly people are advised to take vitamin D as it help to keep bones strong and critically ill patients could be helped with vitamin C supplements (in combination with other treatments.)
There are many vitamin supplements misconceptions. Vitamin supplements unfortunately do not help to treat heart disease or cancer. Vitamin supplements also do not help to slow down aging or prevent the flu.
References:
bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-020-01614-8
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S001236921551828X
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6039380
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2012.03008.x
cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4/full
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33206192
assets.speakcdn.com/Assets/2606/0e6994939_1518542503_847fullpaper2018jamavitamin-and-mineral-supplements-what-clinicians-need-to-know.pdf
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11657-019-0589-y
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23798048
The presented patient stories were adapted from published cases above.
Images:
Some pictures were derived from Servier Medical Art by Servier. You can find over 3000 free medical images here: smart.servier.com
Kidney biopsy by Nephron, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kidney stones by Kempf EK, CC BY-SA 3.0
Siege of Paris by Bundesarchiv, CC BY-SA 3.0 GER
Gloriole by Evrik, CC BY-SA 3.0
HE Staining by Calicut Medical College, CC BY-SA 4.0
Stock videos were derived from: videezy.com, pixabay.com or pexels.com
Music:
Title: Art of Silence by Uniq soundcloud.com/uniqofficial
Title: Punch Deck by promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/bkc-ethereal2 (CC BY 3.0)
Title: Black heat by Ross Budgen (CC BY 4.0)
Title: Filaments by Scott Buckley d (CC BY 3.0)
Title: Rudolph by Lukrembro soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Light Sting by Kevin MacLeod (CC By 4.0)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Title: Buddha by Kontekst
Genre and Mood: Hip Hop & Rap + Bright
Artist: incompetech.com
About Clemens Steinek:
CLEMENS STEINEK is a PhD student/youtuber (Sciencerely) who is currently conducting stem cell research in Germany.
