how much of a nutrient is too much?
by: Alex Lane, Thomas harden, Edgar perez
What are nutrients?
Nutrients are components in foods that an organism uses to survive and grow.
What's the effect of consuming excess nutrients?
while nutrients may be a good thing, over consumption can still be harmful. Over use of different nutrients can ruin your health.
macronutrients
Consuming too much of any of the macronutrients, which include fat, protein and carbohydrates, can cause you to consume too many calories and gain weight. If you gain excessive amounts of weight it can increase your risk for health conditions including heart disease.
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Since the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in your fat cells, they can accumulate to toxic levels if you consume them in very high amounts. This can lead to symptoms including blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, birth defects and headaches.
Minerals
Copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese and zinc are all toxic in large amounts. Mineral toxicities can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the nutrient involved, including nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, confusion, weak pulse, tarry stools, muscle weakness, fainting, increased urination, blue lips, seizures, clammy skin, drowsiness, increased urination, dry mouth and slow heart rate.
Limit these nutrients
The nutrients listed first are the ones Americans generally eat in adequate amounts, or even too much. Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure.
Get enough of these nutrients
Most Americans don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions. For example, getting enough calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that results in brittle bones as one ages. Eating a diet high in dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function. Additionally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Nutrients are good for you, but to much of any good thing can be bad. always remember to balance your diet