Can one common vitamin actually increase your risk of stroke overnight? As a brain doctor, the answer shocked me—and it could be affecting millions of older adults. In this urgent senior health video, we reveal the hidden danger behind a vitamin many seniors take daily.
While some vitamins support brain and heart function, others—if taken incorrectly—may quietly harm blood vessels and raise stroke risk. Protecting your brain is critical to long-term senior health, and knowing the facts could save your life.
At Health 365, we share science-backed insights to help you make safer choices for your body and mind. This video is essential for anyone serious about preventing stroke and maintaining better senior health after 60.
Don’t ignore this warning. Watch now to learn which vitamin to avoid, and how to adjust your routine to support optimal senior health.
Subscribe to Health 365 for more expert advice and weekly updates on real-life senior health solutions that matter.
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if you’re over 60 this one small habit could silently raise your risk of a stroke while you sleep no warning no pain just one moment you’re fine and the next you can’t lift your arm your speech is slurred or your balance is gone as a brain doctor I’ve seen far too many older adults go through this and not because of smoking poor diet or lack of exercise but because of something they thought was helping vitamins yes really vitamins every day millions of seniors take supplements hoping to protect their bones boost their energy or keep their memory sharp and while many do help some especially in high doses or taken at the wrong time can quietly put your brain in danger today I want to walk you through five common vitamins that may increase your risk of stroke brain bleeds or blood pressure spikes especially during the early morning hours when your brain is most vulnerable if you’ve ever taken vitamin D E B6 A or nascins this video might just save your life before we begin I’d love to know have you ever questioned whether your vitamins could be doing harm type one in the comments if you’re curious to learn more type zero if this is all new to you and if brain health matters to you or someone you love don’t forget to like this video and subscribe to Health 365 for honest sciencebacked tips made especially for older adults now let’s start with the most surprising one of all vitamin D what you don’t know about it could turn a good night’s sleep into a dangerous one you’ve probably heard that it’s good for your bones your mood even your immune system and that’s all true in moderation but here’s something most seniors are never told too much vitamin D especially taken at night can quietly raise your risk of stroke i know that sounds shocking but I’ve seen it with my own patients take Mr walter for example a 74year-old retired Navy vet he was sharp disciplined and took his health seriously every morning like clockwork he lined up his supplements including a 10,000 IU vitamin D capsule he bought over the counter he believed he was protecting his bones but what he didn’t realize was that this simple routine was slowly pushing his body toward a silent disaster one morning his wife found him confused he couldn’t speak clearly his right arm hung limp a stroke overnight his labs showed dangerously high calcium levels stiff arteries and blood pressure all over the place the culprit vitamin D toxicity you see when you take high doses of vitamin D especially without medical guidance it causes calcium to build up in your bloodstream and your body doesn’t know what to do with all that extra calcium so it sends it into your arteries making them stiff and narrow and guess where that can lead a blood clot straight to your brain as we get older our arteries naturally lose flexibility add in dehydration poor sleep and a calcium spike at night and you’ve created a perfect storm for stroke the scariest part there are no warning signs you go to bed feeling fine and wake up with your life forever changed and here’s something you may not know many over-the-counter vitamin D supplements in the US contain far more than older adults actually need 5,000 Tyler’s IU 10,000 IU people take these every day thinking more is better but studies show that even 2,000 IU daily may be too much if you’re not deficient let me say this clearly if you’re taking vitamin D especially along with calcium or heart medications it is crucial to get your blood levels checked regularly and always take it in the morning not before bed do you know how many IUs your supplement has type D in the comments if you’re taking vitamin D right now let’s open the conversation and if this made you think twice give this video a like to help others find it too now if that surprised you just wait the next vitamin is one many people take for heart health but in older adults it can lead to something even more dangerous than a clot a brain bleed let’s talk about vitamin E vitamin E often called the heart helper if you’ve been taking it for years you’re not alone many people over 60 add vitamin E to their routine hoping it’ll support their heart improve circulation maybe even boost memory and skin health but here’s the part that doesn’t make it onto the bottle label too much vitamin E especially when combined with common heart medications can increase your risk of bleeding in the brain yes even if you’re doing everything right let me share a story I’ll never forget mrs evelyn Brooks 81 a retired librarian from Ohio she was sharp witty and always had a book in hand she had a heart valve issue and was on warfarin a common blood thinner her doctors monitored everything closely her blood work was fine her pressure was stable but one day she picked up a bottle of natural vitamin E she saw advertised in a magazine 800 IU per capsule i thought it would help my memory and circulation she told me three weeks later she was rushed to the ER with a terrible headache confusion and vomiting a brain scan showed a hemorrhagic stroke bleeding inside the brain not because of high blood pressure not because of a fall but because the combination of warfarin and highdosese vitamin E had made her blood too thin to clot just one fragile vessel in her brain gave way here’s what most people don’t realize vitamin E in high doses works like a natural anti-coagulant that means it slows clotting if you’re already on aspirin Plavix or any blood thinner and then add vitamin E your risk of internal bleeding quietly goes up especially in the brain where even a small bleed can steal your speech your memory or your ability to walk and get this the recommended daily intake for older adults is just 15 mg about 22 IU yet most supplements on storeshelves contain 200 400 even 1,000 IU per capsule no warnings no consultations and many folks take them every day for years mrs evelyn survived but she now walks with a cane her short-term memory was never quite the same she told me through tears i just wanted to help myself i didn’t know I was doing harm and that’s the part that breaks my heart because she’s not alone so many seniors think if it’s a vitamin it must be safe but the truth is not every vitamin is safe especially when you’re on heart or blood pressure meds you must talk to your doctor before adding anything new now if the idea of a brain bleed wasn’t scary enough there’s another vitamin people take for nerve support and energy that can quietly damage your nerves and sometimes permanently let’s talk about vitamin B6 vitamin B6 the one often labeled as a nerve support or brain booster you might have seen it in those bottles at the pharmacy claiming to help with energy focus or even memory and maybe someone even told you it’s good for aging nerves but here’s what most seniors are never warned about too much vitamin B6 can actually damage your nerves sometimes permanently let me tell you about Mr harold Jenkins he was 76 a retired truck driver from Kansas he came into my office because his feet felt numb his hands tingled and his balance was off at first he thought it was just age then he started falling first once then again the third time he hit his head on the bathroom floor when I reviewed his supplements I spotted the issue right away he’d been taking a nerve support formula for over a year the label said it supported brain health and circulation but inside each tablet 100 m of vitamin B6 and he was taking two tablets per day that’s 200 mgram daily over 10 times the recommended safe upper limit for seniors now here’s the scary part unlike some vitamins that flush out in your urine B6 builds up in your system over time and in older adults it can damage the protective coating around your nerves like stripping insulation off a wire the result tingling numbness muscle weakness tremors even confusion or memory issues what’s worse the symptoms creep in slowly many people think it’s arthritis or aging or early dementia but really it could be B6 toxicity a slow preventable kind of nerve damage caused by a pill meant to help and it can be permanent if not caught early mr jenkins was lucky we stopped the supplement and the damage didn’t get worse but he still uses a cane he doesn’t drive anymore he told me “I just wanted to protect my brain i didn’t realize I was poisoning it.” Let’s be clear vitamin B6 is important but in very small amounts older adults only need about 2 to 10 milligs per day and that includes what you get from food but many brain support pills sold online or in stores contain 50 100 even 200 mus that’s not just unnecessary it’s dangerous so if you’re taking any supplement that says nerve brain or energy check the label know your numbers and type B6 in the comments if you’ve taken a supplement like that or know someone who has now you might be thinking “At least some vitamins like A must be safe it’s just for eyesight right?” Well not exactly let’s talk about vitamin A if you’re like most older adults you’ve probably heard that vitamin A is essential for good eyesight maybe you’ve even taken it for your immune system skin health or because someone said it helps you age gracefully but here’s what almost no one tells you especially if you’re over 60 too much vitamin A doesn’t just sit quietly in your system it builds up and over time it can increase pressure inside your skull mimicking a stroke damaging your vision and even affecting your brain let me tell you about Miss Dorothy Simmons she was 79 a retired piano teacher from Oregon she loved music taught students from her living room and took pride in staying independent but one day she started getting headaches then came the blurred vision then the dizziness and the slurred speech her family feared the worst a stroke but when we ran her scans something surprising showed up no clot no bleeding instead she had elevated intraraanial pressure too much pressure inside the brain her spinal fluid was backed up tiny veins in her brain were under stress the cause vitamin A toxicity she’d been taking a highdose skin and eye supplement for over five years nearly 10,000 IU per day every day without realizing it here’s the key difference vitamin A is fat soluble that means your body stores it in your liver your tissues even your brain it doesn’t flush out like vitamin C or B and as we age our liver slows down so that buildup happens even faster when there’s too much vitamin A in the body it can lead to a condition called pseudotumor cerebry a false brain tumor the symptoms: headaches blurred or double vision dizziness nausea even permanent vision loss or cognitive decline the tricky part many multivitamins already contain the full recommended dose of vitamin A but some people like Ms dot unknowingly double or triple that by adding skin eye or anti-aging formulas on top the safe upper limit for seniors roughly 2500 to 3,000 IU per day and that’s only if needed under medical supervision but many supplements sold online contain 5,000 * 10,000 IU or more taken daily for months or years it’s easy to see how the damage builds up ms dot is slowly recovering but she now needs regular eye exams pressure checks and balance therapy she told me “I thought I was doing something good for my body i never imagined it could hurt my brain.” And that’s why I share her story because it’s not about scaring anyone it’s about making sure you have the facts so you can protect yourself and your independence now if you thought eyesight vitamins were risky wait until you hear what happens when a vitamin meant for cholesterol and heart health suddenly spikes your blood pressure let’s talk about niacin vitamin B3 a vitamin you might have taken or been told to take for your heart niacin also known as vitamin B3 it’s often praised as a natural way to lower cholesterol some doctors even prescribe it you’ll also find it in heart health supplements energy drinks and fortified cereals but here’s what’s often left out of the conversation especially for older adults niacin in high doses can quietly cause serious swings in your blood pressure and even trigger a stroke let me introduce you to Mr frank Miller he’s 82 a retired postman from Florida he came to see me with a strange mix of symptoms hot flashes in his face a pounding sensation in his chest dizziness that came and went every morning his wife thought it was anxiety his son blamed it on his blood pressure meds but the real cause something no one had thought to check dennis had been taking an over-the-counter heart-healthy supplement the front label said “Supports cholesterol and circulation the back 1,000 powers of nyasin per serving he was taking it twice a day that’s 2,000 talon daily over 60 times the amount most seniors actually need here’s what happens when you take niacin in high doses it causes your blood vessels to suddenly expand which is why your face may flush or feel warm but shortly after those same vessels snap back and constrict that sudden tightening can raise your blood pressure stress your heart and reduce blood flow to your brain over time this yo-yo effect is like tapping a hammer on fragile glass eventually something gives dennis had what’s called a transient eskeemic attack or TIA a mini stroke his speech slurred for 2 minutes then returned he thought it was a fluke i had to tell him the hard truth his daily supplement meant to help his heart was quietly harming his brain and he’s not alone many seniors take highdose nasin without even realizing it they buy flush-free or extended release forms online thinking it’s safer but even those versions can still raise blood pressure trigger atrial fibrillation and affect blood sugar levels here’s what you need to know for older adults anything above 50 mg of niacin per day should be used only under medical supervision and if you have high blood pressure heart rhythm issues or are on medication please check your labels dennis is now off nascin he’s recovering no permanent damage but he told me something I won’t forget doc I thought I was doing everything right i didn’t know I was gambling with my brain so now that we’ve walked through five common vitamins each with the power to quietly harm the brain you might be asking what should I take instead or better yet what should I eat let’s talk about real food the kind that protects your brain without the risks by now you might be wondering “If these vitamins can be risky what should I do instead?” It’s a great question because the truth is your body wasn’t designed to run on pills it was built to thrive on real food whole natural nutrient-rich food that your brain recognizes absorbs and uses in just the right amounts let me tell you about Mrs margaret Wilson she’s 73 a retired school principal from Arizona when I first met her she pulled out a drawer full of supplements vitamin D for bones vitamin E for heart B complex for energy niacin for cholesterol a multivitamin and a few others for brain support i’m doing everything right doc she said but she was feeling dizzy in the mornings her balance was off her blood pressure kept climbing something wasn’t adding up so we did something radical we cleared the clutter one by one we took away the pills and replaced them with food no magic diet no fancy program just simple whole foods at the right time in the right combinations here’s what her breakfast looked like one boiled egg for clean protein half an avocado rich in healthy fats a slice of whole grain toast slow steady energy a handful of blueberries loaded with brain protective antioxidants a glass of room temperature water to hydrate the brain sometimes she added a few walnuts or almonds that’s it no powders no pills just food real recognizable nourishing within just a few weeks Maggie noticed a difference her dizziness faded her blood pressure stabilized her energy returned and she told me her mind felt clearer than it had in years here’s why it worked your brain needs hydration healthy fats consistent fuel and micronutrients in their natural form it doesn’t need mega doses it needs balance some of the best foods for older adults include leafy greens like spinach and kale rich in folate and antioxidants fatty fish like salmon or sardines full of omega-3s to protect brain cells berries for polyphenols that reduce inflammation nuts and seeds for vitamin E magnesium and brain healthy fats whole grains to keep blood sugar stable and support circulation and remember these foods don’t just protect your brain they support your heart bones mood and mobility too you’re not just eating you’re healing with every bite final wakeup call awareness is the best medicine at this stage in life every choice matters more and the truth is it’s not the pills you take but what you understand about them that truly protects you your body at 60 70 or 80 doesn’t process supplements the same way it did decades ago even well-meaning habits like taking vitamins can quietly backfire if you’re not careful that’s why awareness is your most powerful medicine you don’t need to fear vitamins but you do need to respect them read the labels ask your doctor and listen to your body especially when it whispers if any part of this video spoke to you tell me in the comments what’s one change you’ll make starting tomorrow if you found this helpful give it a like to help others find it too and please subscribe to Health365 so we can keep learning growing and staying strong together you’re not alone on this journey and you’re never too old to take back control of your health
