Sugar alcohols, which are natural sugar substitutes that come from fruits and berries, are commonly found in vitamin gummies and can cause digestive problems such as nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. Children naturally love candy, so it may be difficult for them to differentiate gummy vitamins from typical candies. In fact, the Poison Control Center gets phone calls almost every day about children who accidentally ingest too many vitamin gummies. Although this incident is common in children, adults may also have a tendency to ingest doses higher than normal. It's important that we know how to handle these types of situations to avoid further complications.
While you're probably concerned (and for good reason) if you or your child eats too many vitamin gummies, the side effects are likely to be mild, says Dr. Ashanti Woods, a pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Some gummy vitamins labeled “sugar-free” are sweetened with erythritol, xylitol, or other non-carbohydrate sugar alcohols. In addition, the vitamins in gummies are easy to chew and can generally be taken by people who have difficulty swallowing pills.
While many people think that you can't consume too much of a good thing, it's possible to consume too many vitamins from a variety. Eating hundreds of vitamin supplements in gummies is considered a single overdose because they contain minerals such as zinc, magnesium and manganese that can become toxic to the body at very high levels, explains Gaby Udabor, NP, a holistic nurse specializing in Gaby U Health & Wellness Hub. Beyond this mess, there's simply not much room left to add much more, so you probably won't get therapeutically significant amounts of nutrients when you take a gummy vitamin. The vitamins in gummies may also be good for children who are picky eaters and don't eat a proper diet, as well as for those who have difficulty swallowing pills.
For example, eating 20 vitamins in gummies can increase your chances of experiencing side effects such as nausea and diarrhea. While unnecessary for most people, the vitamins in gummies can help certain populations, such as vegans and older adults. You can also read another blog that we created to help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of vitamins in gummies compared to pills and powdered supplements. A boy who ate 150 vitamin gummies for breakfast was rushed to the emergency room with a broken arm after tripping and experiencing muscle weakness and stomach pain.
Because children need lower amounts of nutrients than adults, they are more susceptible to vitamin and mineral toxicity (1). Gummy vitamins are usually made from gelatin, cornstarch, and sugar, and many fillers and chemical additives). Gummies also have a more limited shelf life compared to traditional vitamins and will begin to lose potency in a shorter time. It's important for medical providers to know exactly what the specific vitamins your child consumed contain.
