I take a daily vitamin, niacin, folic acid, and fish oil. All were recommended by my doctor - except for the fish oil. I decided to take that on my own but after I told him I had started taking it, he suggested that I double my dose.
I'm also currently trying Juice Festiv a mutli-antioxidant supplement. My pharmacist gave me a two month trial. I doubt that I'll continue with it, because I do eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
As for how many are too many - you can 't assign a number. It depends entirely on the supplement. You could take 100 supplements safely (not cheaply, but safely) or 1 supplement dangerously.
There are some really good books on vitamins and supplements (My husband and I bought the book Vitamins for Dummies). Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored in the fat cells, and overdose can be harmful. Water soluble vitamins are less dangerous. It was once thought that unlimited amounts were safe and risk-free, because it was thought that the body excreted what it didn't use. More modern research has linked some health problems to excessive vitamin C intake. Tooth enamel loss (if chewables are used) and formation of kidney/bladder stones.
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