When You Eat Too Many Gummy Vitamins, This Is What Happens

Gummy vitamins have exploded in popularity in recent years due to their yummy, gummy texture tricking both kids and adults alike into thinking that they can be popped like candy. But eating too many gummy vitamins can lead to dangerous, sometimes toxic outcomes.

Gummy vitamins are typically made up of vitamins, minerals, sugar, gelatin, and food dye (via EatThis, Not That!). There are also different types of vitamins — water-soluble (not stored in your body), fat-soluble (stored in fat), and mineral supplements, which maintain the water level in your body and help with performance.

The two that pose the greatest concern of overdosing are fat-soluble — vitamins A, D, and E — and mineral supplements calcium, potassium, sodium, and zinc (via Insider). Some water-soluble vitamins can also cause health problems in excessive doses.

Calculating exactly how many vitamins can cause an overdose can get tricky, with multivitamins in particular, as the amount of nutrients can vary by product. A general breakdown by Insider showed that with one particular brand of multivitamin, it would take 2.4 gummies for children or four gummies for adults to reach potentially toxic amounts on Vitamin A; 43 and 66 gummies respectively for Vitamin C; 6 and 4 gummies respectively for Vitamin D; and 44 and 74 gummies respectively for Vitamin E. Note that these numbers are specific to one brand, and every brand is different, so do your due diligence!

So what does a vitamin overdose look like? Symptoms to look for are constipation, diarrhea, fever, headache, irritability, nausea, upset stomach, and/or vomiting. If you think you or your child have taken too many gummy vitamins, you should contact poison control at 800-222-1222 whether you are experiencing symptoms or not.

There are other negative effects that taking too many gummy vitamins can have on your body, other than making you sick. You may inadvertently overeat extra sugar, entirely eliminate water-soluble vitamins through your urine, or be unsure of what exact levels of vitamins and minerals you are getting.

Due to these concerns and possible manufacturing inconsistencies, health experts say that multivitamins in a traditional pill format may be your safest bet. But if you decide the gummy vitamins are the best option for you or your child, experts recommend tracking how many and when vitamins are consumed, as well as your child's height and weight, to ensure no toxicity occurs.