[Abuse of megadoses of vitamins].

There is no evidence of any nutritional benefit derived from the consumption of vitamin supplements in excess of the daily intakes recommended by the various international and national expert committees. Furthermore, in the case of certain of the vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin D, excessive intakes result in toxic effects. To a lesser extent this is also the case for vitamin C and nicotinic acid. In addition, the use of high supplements or megadoses of any vitamin results in a wasteful misuse of economic resources. This reduces the capacity to acquire foods which would have clear nutritional benefits for the whole family. Consequently, the indiscriminate use of these megadoses must be discouraged. Their application is exclusively justified in clinical situations under direct medical supervision.