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De-Tox programme risks
I’ve been on a De-Tox programme for four weeks taking Carrot Juice and Grape Juice, three times a day. A friend feels I am taking too much and may be giving myself vitamin poisoning. I also take a mixture of vitamins pills daily. Am I at risk and if so, what should my daily intake be?
There’s one surefire warning sign of overdosing on vitamin A - your skin will turn bright yellow, starting with the palms of your hands. Michael van Straten, naturopath and author of the excellent SuperJuice, says you are right to be worried about overdosing, especially with vitamins A and D which are toxic in large amounts but with carrot juice, what you are actually ingesting is betacarotenes, which the body then converts to vitamin A. It only converts the amount it needs, any excess is flushed out and you will only be at risk if you are drinking enormous amounts - in excess of two pints a day.
You don’t say so, but we’re assuming you are eating a healthy diet and not just surviving on juicing for four weeks. While a detox is excellent, it is better to do three or four a year than one long one. You also don’t say what extra vitamins you’re taking but according to van Straten, if you add them all up and discover you are taking 2-3 times the minimum daily requirements (RDAs) then you are taking too much, unless you have been prescribed this quantity by a qualified health practitioner who knows what they are doing.