The dose makes the poison.

Paracelsus was a fifteenth century alchemist who coined the phrase, “The Dose makes the poison.” This is something to keep in mind when considering supplements. The shorthand human idea is that things are either good or bad in and of themselves, while a better if more complex, reflection of reality is that something can be either good or bad depending on the context; context in this instance meaning dosage.

For example, we all need Vitamin A. Without it you’ll go night blind, and then suffer from impaired immunity, keratosis pilaris and other dreaded conditions best left in Latin. But too much Vitamin A, like those found in some supplements, leads to a whole different slew of problems such as hair loss, drying of the mucous membranes, fever, insomnia, fatigue, weight loss, bone fractures, anemia, and diarrhea. Even in non-toxic amounts, too much Vitamin A is already common in industrial countries and leads to lower bone density.

So when considering supplements we need to remember that the amount we take is as important, if not more important, than what we take.