08/15/2026
Thousands of US Kids Hospitalized for Vitamin & Mineral Toxicity, Study Finds
Thousands of children have been hospitalized after poisoning by vitamins and minerals in recent years, the majority ingested intentionally, a nationwide study showed. Over just 3 years, vitamin and mineral toxicity was the cause of hospitalization for 1961 children (in the US). That represented just the supplements for which there was a toxicity-related International Classification of Diseases-10 code, said Marina Masciale, MD, MPH, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, whose group reported the findings at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.
âOur study probably only scratched the surface,â she said. Here is the 2018 study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10174710/
âŠthe databases of poison centers across the country noted dietary supplements, herbals, and homeopathic medicines âŠ
Even if zinc, vitamin A, gummy multivitamins, and the like fall far below the level of poisoning from non-opioid analgesics, they still cause significant illness in the US each year, Masciale said. âSome of these hospitalizations had extreme loss of function, severity of illness, and so itâs not insignificant.â
Supplements can cause significant toxicity; families should lock up vitamins/minerals. 56% of the toxicities followed intentional (meaning ânot accidentalâ) ingestion. Teens aged 13-17 years accounted for 57% of the cases, and 73% were female.
When it comes to supplements, âWe have no idea whatâs in that bottle, even though it says X, Y, or Z is in the bottle,â he said. âItâs a real challenge because itâs the Wild West.â A lot of families think that because vitamins and minerals are sold over the counter, theyâre safe.
Here is the link to the full article on Medscape: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/thousands-us-kids-hospitalized-vitamin-mineral-toxicity-2026a1000rjy
PS: This is why I have never supported multivitamins or vitamins without a blood test that shows deficiency. Vitamins and supplements are not safe. The are medicines without regulations.
Herbs fall into a completely different and very potent medicinal category, of which Western Medicine knowns nothing about.
So please do not supplement any herbs. They can cause very serous problems. And please get a blood test to check what vitamins and minerals you need to supplement. It is never a guessing game.
Thousands of children have been hospitalized after poisoning by vitamins and minerals in recent years, the majority ingested intentionally.