What will happen if a person took in too much Vitamin C supplements?

Answer 1

he'll grow oranges out of his ears..

Answer 2

The human body works on a very limited pH. If the pH changes just a few decimals in either direction, the person can die from multiple organ failure.

Now, our bodies have a few defense mechanisms to keep our pH from becomming too acidic or too alkaline. The fastest mechanism to change pH (but the least effective in the long run) is breathing.

If you breathe too much air, your blood becomes more alkaline. You breathe less, it becomes acidic.

The kidney is the slowest but the most effective organ to change pH, it does so by secreting chemicals that do chemical reactions which ultimately change pH.

Now, what we eat changes our pH, just that if our kidneys and lungs work, our body can keep our pH in a good number and we feel fine.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. Yes, that means it has an acidic pH.

If you take one, our pH won't change much. However, if you take a whole box full of Vitamin C pills, even if our kidneys and lungs work, our kidneys work too slow and we'll get tired of hyperventilating and we would fall unconscious and die.

If you just took a bunch of Vitamic C or aspirin pills, call an ER room so that they can pump the meds out of your stomach before it's too late.

Answer 3

The most common side-effect of excessive vitamin C intake is diarrhea.

There is controversy in the scientific community about the possibility that high doses of vitamin C in a few, susceptible people, may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. This is 'controversial' because the research is not clear and many doctors that regularly prescribe high doses of Vitamin C claim not to see any stone formation in their patients.

Answer 4

Vitamin C has an obscenely high toxicity rate... You have to take 12 grams per every kilogram of body weight before it poisons you. (Let's say you weigh 160 lbs. This is roughly 80 kg, which means 960 grams of vitamin C)

It is, in fact, so hard to overdose on Vitamin C, toxicity effects have not been documented in human beings, only rats :-P

Answer 5

Nothing serious if only Vitamin C.
You'll just eliminate in urine and excrement.
However.....most people will get diarrhea after 2 or 3 grams.