In my previous post I discussed the many benefits of macrominerals. Whilst getting your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of all 7 macrominerals can have a hugely positive effect on your health a lot of people go too far and end up overdosing. Unfortunately, this can have a negative effect on your health. In this article I will be discussing 12 of the potential symptoms caused by overdosing on the macrominerals.
1) CALCIFICATION OF THE SOFT TISSUES:- Overdosing on phosphorus can lead to calcification of the soft tissues and major organs. This is a condition where calcium is deposited on the soft tissues and major organs causing them to harden and stop functioning properly.
2) DEHYDRATION:- Eating too much calcium can cause you to become dehydrated. This leads to symptoms such as thirst, muscle cramps, nausea and weakness. Dehydration can also damage your joints, liver and muscles.
3) DIARRHEA:- Consuming too much calcium, magnesium, phosphorus or potassium can lead to diarrhea. Not only is this a very unpleasant condition but it can also lead to dehydration, fevers and stomach pain.
4) FATIGUE:- Overdosing on magnesium can lead to extreme fatigue even when you are getting adequate amounts of sleep. Not only is this unpleasant but it can also inhibit your performance during the day.
5) FLUID RETENTION:- Consuming excessive levels of chloride can make your body retain fluid. This can lead to swelling in a number of areas such as your ankles, feet and hands. In certain cases these swollen areas become painful and stiff.
6) HEART PROBLEMS:- Getting the RDA of potassium and sodium helps keep your heartbeats regular. However, consuming too much of either negates this benefit and makes you more susceptible to heart attacks and heart disease.
7) HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:- Chloride and sodium are both key nutrients for keeping you blood healthy. However, overdosing on one or both of the two can raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure has a number of negative health implications and can seriously damage your blood vessels and vital organs.
8) KIDNEY PROBLEMS:- Consuming excessive levels of sodium over a long period can cause kidney disease. This then limits the amount of waste material that can be removed from your body. Any waste materials that are not excreted start to build up and poison the body internally. Long term, untreated kidney disease eventually leads to kidney failure which leaves your body unable to excrete any waste materials from the body.
9) MUSCLE WEAKNESS:- Overdosing on magnesium can cause muscle weakness. Not only can this be irritating but it may also make it difficult to perform every day activities.
10) REDUCED MICRONUTRIENT ABSORPTION:- Eating large amounts of phosphorus can interfere with absorption of several key micronutrients including calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. This then means you will fail to get the full benefits even when eating the RDA of these four minerals.
11) STOMACH PROBLEMS:- Overdosing on certain macrominerals can lead to various stomach problems. Eating too much calcium can lead to stomach pain whilst getting too much magnesium can cause stomach cramps.
12) VOMITING:- Consuming high levels of calcium, magnesium or potassium can cause you to vomit. Whilst vomiting generally does not cause any serious damage to your body it is an unpleasant experience. However, prolonged vomiting can cause you to become deficient in the minerals and vitamins as they are excreted from your stomach.
HOW CAN I AVOID MACROMINERAL OVERDOSE?
In summary, the macrominerals are essential for good health but you need to moderate your consumption. Ideally you should stick to the RDA for each one but at the very least you should stay within the tolerable upper limits. Both the RDA and the tolerable upper limit for each of the seven macrominerals are listed below:
– Calcium:- RDA of between 1000mg-1200mg for adults. Tolerable upper limit of 3000mg per day.
– Chloride:- RDA of 750mg for adults. No upper limit specified but it is advisable to stay close to the RDA.
– Magnesium:- RDA of 300mg-400mg for adults. Tolerable upper limit of 1000mg per day.
– Phosphorus:- RDA of 700mg for adults Tolerable upper limit of 4000mg per day.
– Potassium:- RDA of 4700mg for adults. No upper limit specified but it is advisable to stay close to the RDA.
– Sodium:- RDA of 1600mg for adults. Tolerable upper limit of 2300mg per day.
– Sulphur:- No RDA but most sources suggest a daily intake of between 800mg-1000mg. No upper limit specified as there are no reported overdose symptoms.
SUMMARY
I hope this article helps keep your macromineral consumption within safe limits. Whilst getting the RDA of each is very important, overdosing can be extremely dangerous. However, if you follow the advice in this article you can avoid all the negative symptoms discussed.
What are your thoughts on the macrominerals? Do you eat too much of any? Have you experienced any of the negative symptoms discussed above? Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment.