Why Vitamin A and E Supplements Might Be Hurting You

A National Geographic article published today dives into how vitamins A and E supplements can actually become your body's worst enemies. We break down exactly why right here.

The Fat-Soluble vs Water-Soluble Lowdown

Not all vitamins play by the same rules. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are absorbed with fat and get stored in your liver and body fat – they’re the houseguests that move in and stay a while​. Water-soluble vitamins (C and B-family), on the other hand, dissolve in water and the excess gets flushed out in your urine​. (Ever taken too much vitamin B and noticed neon yellow pee? Yep, that’s your body tossing the extras.)

Why does this matter? Because fat-soluble vitamins can build up to toxic levels if you take too much. Think of it this way: water-soluble vitamins are like party guests who leave at midnight, but fat-soluble vitamins are the ones who crash on your couch for weeks.

Vitamin A: When a Good Thing Becomes Too Much

Polar bears carry astronomical amounts of vitamin A in their liver – so much that Arctic explorers who ate polar bear liver developed peeling skin, hemorrhages, and even died from acute vitamin A poisoning​. While you (hopefully) won’t be eating polar bear stew for dinner, this extreme tale shows how too much vitamin A can turn deadly. And you don’t need an Arctic expedition to overdose – popping high-dose vitamin A pills can do the trick.

Vitamin A is essential for vision (night vision, in particular), immune function, and skin health. But it’s a fat-soluble diva – stick to the script and it’s great, overdo it and it goes toxic. Your body stashes excess vitamin A in the liver, and if you keep stocking up, the liver eventually says “Enough!” The result? Hypervitaminosis A – essentially vitamin A overload. Symptoms can start with things like nausea, headache, dizziness, and blurred vision, and then get worse. Over long periods, excess vitamin A can cause bone thinning (hello, fractures), liver damage, and even birth defects​. In other words, too much vitamin literally breaks down your bones and beats up your liver.

It gets scarier: Taking mega-doses (way above the recommended ~700–900 mcg/day for adults) can flip vitamin A from protector to foe. For instance, in scientific trials, people at high risk (like smokers) who took high-dose beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) supplements actually had more lung cancers than those who didn’t​

In fact, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force flat-out recommends against taking beta-carotene (vitamin A) supplements for disease prevention due to these risks​. So unless you have a diagnosed vitamin A deficiency (rare in developed countries), think twice about gobbling those high-dose vitamin A pills. Most people get plenty from food, and a healthy diet with carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens will give you all the A you need – without the toxic aftermath​.

Vitamin E: The Not-So-Harmless Antioxidant

Vitamin E is often marketed as a heart-healthy antioxidant, brain protector, ageless skin secret… you name it. It is an important antioxidant in foods (nuts, seeds, etc.), but the supplement story isn’t so rosy. Like vitamin A, vitamin E is fat-soluble, so it sticks around. Initially, people hoped vitamin E pills would cut heart disease or cancer. Spoiler: they didn’t. Research shows no convincing evidence that vitamin E supplements prevent cancer or heart disease​. In fact, piling on extra vitamin E might do the opposite of what you’d hope:

• Bleeding and strokes: Too much vitamin E can act like a blood thinner. High doses (especially >400 IU a day) have been linked to a higher risk of bleeding, including serious ones like hemorrhagic stroke​. So if you’re on blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, mega-dose E is a big no-no (it’s like taking double anticoagulants without realizing it).

  
  

• Higher mortality?! Some large analyses have found that people taking high-dose vitamin E supplements were slightly more likely to die of any cause than those who didn’t. One analysis saw the risk of death start creeping up at just 150 IU per day, becoming significant around 400 IU/day​. To put that in perspective, 400 IU is the amount in many over-the-counter E capsules and about 18 times the recommended daily amount. While this doesn’t mean vitamin E is a poison pill, it does wave a red flag that too much E might shorten your lifespan rather than extend it.

  
  

• Cancer risk: Remember that famous Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)? In that large study, men who took 400 IU of vitamin E daily had a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer than the placebo group​. The plan was to prevent cancer, not potentially cause it. That finding took the wind out of the vitamin E hype pretty quickly. Additionally, as with vitamin A, most expert bodies (like the USPSTF) advise against vitamin E supplements for preventing heart disease or cancer because they just don’t work and could be harmful​.

  In short, vitamin E is not the innocuous “extra insurance” pill we once thought. Getting vitamin E from foods is safe and healthy – your body knows how to handle that. But taking high-dose E in pill form can tip the balance in the wrong direction. You might be trading your money for a higher risk of stroke or cancer, which is a pretty lousy deal.

Should You Ever Take Vitamin A or E Supplements?

After all this, you might wonder: Are vitamin A or E supplements ever a good idea? The answer for most people: Probably not, unless your doctor says you truly need it. There are specific cases where they’re useful – for example, vitamin A supplements can be lifesaving for malnourished children or measles patients in developing countries​ or for people with certain rare deficiencies. Similarly, vitamin E might be needed in certain malabsorption conditions (where someone can’t absorb fat well and becomes deficient). But these situations are not the norm. Vitamin A or E deficiency is rare in a typical well-fed adult​. For the rest of us, a balanced diet (fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, etc.) provides plenty of A and E – and in forms and amounts that our bodies handle safely.

If you’re considering these supplements, it’s worth asking why. Is it because you think more vitamins = more health? (We’ve seen that’s not true for A and E.) Is it because of some marketing claim? Be skeptical. “Natural” doesn’t automatically mean “safe at any dose.” These vitamins in high amounts act like drugs – and drugs can have side effects.

Tips for Smart Supplement Use

• Talk to Your Doctor First: Always loop in your doctor or a healthcare provider before starting high-dose supplements. They can test for deficiencies or advise if you actually need it. Be especially cautious with fat-soluble vitamins if you are pregnant, on medications, or have health conditions – vitamin A, for example, is teratogenic (causes birth defects) in high doses​. so pregnancy and high vitamin A don’t mix.

  
  

• Beware of Mega Doses: More is not better. Stick to supplements that provide around 100% of the daily value or less, unless directed by a doctor. Avoid the temptation to take “super-strength” doses of A or E. Check the labels – you might be surprised that some “hair & skin” vitamins or “immune boosters” pack thousands of IU of A or E. That’s a red flag.

  
  

• Get Nutrients from Food: You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s true – food beats pills. A carrot or a handful of almonds comes with fiber, water, and a complex mix of nutrients that work together. This natural packaging helps prevent toxicity. Your body slowly extracts what it needs. Supplements, by contrast, slam you with a concentrated dose all at once. Unless you have a poor diet or a condition limiting your intake, focus on eating vitamin-rich foods (carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach for vitamin A; nuts, seeds, avocados for vitamin E) rather than swallowing extra pills.

  
  

• Choose Quality if You Do Supplement: If you and your doctor decide a supplement is needed, choose reputable brands. Look for third-party testing seals (USP, NSF, ConsumerLab) to ensure what’s on the label is actually in the pill (and nothing extra or nasty). The supplement industry is relatively unregulated and some products might contain way more (or less) than they say, or have impurities. Avoid gimmicky “miracle” vitamin claims – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

  
  

• Monitor and Moderate: Even with the OK to supplement, keep an eye on how you feel. Some early signs of vitamin A overdose, for example, include headaches, joint pain, or skin changes. Don’t ignore those thinking “it’s just vitamins”. And don’t stack multiple supplements that each contain vitamin A or E (for instance, a multivitamin + a hair/skin formula + a separate A supplement) – those add up quickly. Moderation is key.

Bottom line: Vitamins A and E are crucial nutrients, but you’re best off getting them from a healthy diet, not high-dose pills. Fat-soluble vitamins hang around, and taking too much can turn a good thing into a hazard. So save your money, protect your liver, and maybe skip that megavitamin – your body will thank you. Stay healthy (and leave the polar bear livers to the polar bears)!

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