Taking vitamins without knowing whether your body needs them has become a common health habit. But what happens when the supplements meant to protect your health begin working against it?

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on national survey data collected between August 2021 and August 2023:

60.2% of American adults reported taking at least one dietary supplement during the previous 30 days.
38.7% of adults reported using two or more supplements.
66.1% of women reported supplement use, compared with 53.9% of men.
Among adults aged 60 and older, approximately 75.9% used supplements.
Even among children and adolescents, 35.7% had used dietary supplements.

These figures reveal just how widespread supplementation has become.

However, the statistics do not show that all these individuals are taking supplements unnecessarily or dangerously. Many use