My piss is currently bright yellow from B vitamins. Just wondering how my body knows how much to take and how much to excrete?
In: Biology
Your body temporarily “stores” water-soluble vitamins (like B and C) in the bloodstream, and they just flow around and get used up as needed. But your body also has to keep removing waste products that are also in the blood, using your kidneys and liver. The body doesn’t really have a “filter” to keep the vitamins in while removing the waste. It all gets excreted together. Fortunately the vast majority of people in developed countries get plenty of vitamins from their diets and maintain healthy blood levels without supplements, and there’s not really any reason to take supplements unless your doctor recommends them. A lot of multivitamins will have like 300% of the daily recommended amount, which means you’ll be peeing out at least 2/3 of it. Probably more, because you’re likely getting those vitamins anyway through your food in a form that’s easier for your body to absorb.
As an aside: It’s important to note that supplements are NOT regulated by the FDA in the US, and manufacturers can put in basically whatever they want to. The FDA only evaluates the product after it has arrived on market, not before. And there are thousands of new products being released every year so the FDA can’t keep up. Most supplements have not been tested for ingredient accuracy, efficacy, or safety.
Latest Answers