Taking these popular pills in excess could cause damage to the brain and nervous system

A neurologist has issued a warning about dietary supplements claiming that some could be “toxic” to the brain. Not adhering to the recommended levels of these pills could damage your brain and nervous system, he said.

Many people rely on daily supplements to help ensure they get enough vitamins and minerals that could be lacking in their diet. Some people also struggle to absorb these nutrients from food and need a little extra help.

While these supplements are therefore important, they also can be dangerous if taken incorrectly. With this in mind, an expert shared three supplements that can “harm” the brain if taken in excess.

Speaking on social media platform TikTok, neurologist Doctor Baibing Chen – who is known online as Dr Bing – warned people against taking “too much” when it comes to these supplements.

Zinc

Dr Bing explained that this mineral is taken as a supplement to support the immune system and fight off colds. He said: “It’s found in multivitamins, lozenges, and even some over-the-counter cold remedies.

“Now, zinc is essential for our bodies and can be found in multiple food sources. But the problem is when people take supplements daily for months, they can easily go over the safe limit.”

According to Dr Bing, “too much” zinc can interfere with copper absorption. He continued: “Copper is essential for your nervous system. And low copper levels can cause something called myeloneuropathy, which is damage to the spinal cord and your peripheral nerves leading to things like numbness, tingling and trouble walking.

“And I’ve seen several cases of this where people come in with progressive weakness and sensory loss due to copper deficiency from long-term zinc overuse.” The NHS also warns that taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb.

“This can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones,” it says. As a result, the Department of Health and Social Care says you should not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day “unless advised to by a doctor”.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A, which is also known as retinol, has a number of important functions in the body. This includes helping your body’s natural defence against illness and infection, helping vision in dim light, and keeping skin healthy.

Dr Bing said: “Vitamin A is fat soluble which means that it stores in your liver and it can accumulate over time. Too much of this can lead to a condition called pseudotumor cerebri, which is increased pressure in the brain that mimics a brain tumour, causing headaches, blurred vision and even permanent vision loss.”

The NHS adds: “If you take a supplement that contains vitamin A, do not take too much because this could be harmful.” Pregnant women should also avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A unless advised to by their GP.

According to the health body, having an average of 1.5mg a day or less of vitamin A from diet and supplements combined is “unlikely to cause any harm”.

Vitamin D

This vitamin is vital in supporting bone and muscle health. Most of the vitamin D we need comes from exposure to sunlight.

In the UK, the Government therefore recommends taking a vitamin D supplement daily during the autumn and winter. However, you have to be careful about how much you take.

“Taking too high doses of vitamin D can cause calcium to build up in your blood, which can affect the brain, leading to things like confusion, fatigue, depression, and sometimes even psychosis,” Dr Bing said. “So while these vitamins and minerals are essential for our bodies to function, moderation is key, like almost everything else in life, and more is not always better.”

The NHS adds: “Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body (hypercalcaemia). This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart.

“If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people.”

The health body warns against taking more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could “be harmful”.