It's Best to Heed Guidelines on Vitamin Intake

Q. I am on a hectic schedule and can't eat properly, so I takevitamins daily, including 10,000 international units of vitamin A,1,000 milligrams of C, 1,000 international units of E and 1,200milligrams of calcium. My mother says I take too much. Pleasesettle this. I also take cod liver oil.

A. Your calcium intake is fine. The recommendation for vitaminA is 2,600 international units (IU) daily for a woman between 25 and50. For a man, the number is 3,330.

Vitamin A is one of the fat-storage vitamins. Dosages can buildup, causing headaches, vomiting and liver damage, and can interferewith bone metabolism.

Toxic doses of vitamin A are possible, if you take …