Too many vitamins/minerals?

[Drewno]

This is just what I'm taking in from my multivitamin + 3 shakes per day that I consume:

Vitamin A : 220%
Vitamin C: 350%
Vitamin D: 100%
Vitamin E: 500%
Vitamin K (wtf?): 31%
Thiamin: 450%
Riboflavin: 480%
Niacin: 350%
Vitamin B6: 450%
Folic Acid: 250%
Vitamin B12: 570%
Biotin: 167%
Pantothenic Acid: 270%
Calcium: 220%
Iron: 280%
Phosphorus: 140%
Iodine: 280%
Magnesium: 160%
Zinc: 223%
Selenium: 205%
Copper: 195%
Manganese: 500%
Chromium: 340%
Molybdenum: 310%
Chloride: 32%
Potassium: 2%

Given that many of these vitamins are being consumed at three to five times their daily recommended volume - is that unhealthy? Should I be cutting back on this stuff? This doesn't even include my non-shake meals. My shakes are all myoplex original + water + ice + sometimes peanut butter, and the vitamin is "Centrum Performance".

Thanks in advance for any knowledge that can be shared on this matter.

[Maljonic]

I don't think anyone really knows for sure if overdoing vitamins is unhealthy or not, there haven't been enough studies on the subject. I think if you have too much Vitamin C is can make you feel sick, throwing up even if the dose is massive. I'm not sure your amounts are in that league though.

I'm not too fussed about taking vitamins myself, but I do wonder also if I should be sometimes? It would be nice if we could get all we need from what we eat.

[Hamoth]

A little known secret is that you need to take more than the recommended allowance for the following reasons:

1. You are working harder and consuming more than the 1200 calorie estimate upon which those amounts are based. (er...I think...)

2. Vitamin pills are not efficient. They might have 100% of your vitamins in the pill but that doesn't mean that you are GETTING those vitamins. You do not absorb a good deal of what's in them. Eat fresh greens and fruit and veggies for vitamins that are easier to absorb.

That said, you should always be aware that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Most vitamins like vitamin C are flushed through the urine when your body has had enough.

Here's a page explaining more that encourage you to read:
RDA Chart - LoveToKnow Vitamins

[Chris]

Those recommended daily values are pretty old now.. from the 1960's or something. The minimum C is just enough to keep you from getting scurvy... we need more. Hamoth makes a great point... we need more because we work more. It's true.

I'd say the amounts you're consuming look fine to me. No worries.