There are supplements out there claiming to treat just about every health concern under the sun. Poor sleep? There’s a supplement for that. Stress? There’s a supplement for that. Struggling to lose weight? There are, indeed, many supplements for that. However, in addition to the fact that the jury’s out on whether or not many of these supplements actually deliver on those promises, there’s another major issue to keep in mind: a lot of supplements can actually be dangerous.
Most supplements are safe when consumed as directed my healthy individuals. But along with taking them at extremely high doses, there’s another supplement mistake that could put your health and safety at risk: combining the wrong ones. As it turns out, some supplements that are fine on their own could be detrimental when combined.
To discover one of the most dangerous supplement combos you should avoid, we spoke to pain management doctor Sean Ormond. He told us that taking high doses of Vitamins E and K at the same time could do harm to your body. Find all of his expert insight and learn more about the risks below.
Risks of combining Vitamins E and K
Vitamin E and Vitamin K are both important to your overall health. Vitamin K helps keep your bones strong and plays an important role in blood clotting, which helps reduce bleeding. Meanwhile, Vitamin E is crucial to your vision, reproductive health, and brain health. When your body receives these nutrients directly from the food you eat, they can help support your wellbeing. However, according to Dr. Ormand, you should avoid combining high doses of these vitamins in the form of supplements.
"Vitamin E and vitamin K are both fat-soluble vitamins that can interact with each other," he explains. "Taking high doses of both vitamins together can increase the risk of blood clots." Yikes!
As one study notes, "Given both nutrients' critical involvement in coagulation, in extreme cases, this interaction can result in abnormal blood clotting."
In addition to this potentially harmful interaction, it's worth noting that high doses of fat-soluble vitamins like these (also including vitamins A and D) could cause damage to your liver and kidneys, as nutritionist Jesse Feder warns. "While taken in normal amounts, vitamins A, D, E, and K are harmless," he says. "But certain supplements may contain high amounts of them which can be damaging to your liver and kidneys." He explains that the issue is that fat-soluble vitamins cannot be excreted through urine, which could lead to a build-up of the vitamins in your kidney and liver, especially when combined.
Ultimately, while supplements offer potential solutions for various health concerns, their use should be approached with caution. Although many supplements, including Vitamins E and K, are generally safe within recommended doses, exceeding these amounts or combining different supplements can pose significant health risks.
This just serves as a reminder that when taking any supplement, it's always important to adhere to recommended dosages, stay educated on the potential risks, consider your individual health conditions and any other supplements or medications you're taking—and, of course, when in doubt, seek professional advice from your doctor.
Stay safe!
