Yes, you can take too much vitamin D; there is an illness known as vitamin D toxicity.
It’s also known as hypervitaminosis D. Vitamin D toxicity is a critical condition, yet easy to bounce back from.
Most people won’t experience this critical condition if they are consuming the average amounts of vitamin D through natural foods and beverages.
However, you might experience this if you are taking vitamin D supplements.
If a person is exposed to sunlight daily, they will receive natural vitamin D through the exposure of the sun.
Yet even if they live at the beach or are outside every day, they will not get vitamin D toxicity from sun exposure.
The body has a way of regulating natural vitamin D coming into the body and filtering out excess vitamin D doses.
Initially, a person who begins vitamin D supplements may not be aware of this disease in the beginning stage of their dosing.
However, once the user begins to learn more about their vitamin D supplement cycle, they may be introduced to this disease.
Like any other supplement, vitamin D should be taken as prescribed, or in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
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What Causes Vitamin D Toxicity?
Excessive use of a vitamin D supplement can cause vitamin D toxicity. Also, if the vitamin D supplement user is using other medications or prescriptions for a disease, they may have a reaction to the combination. If the user is having liver, kidney, or blood clot problems, they may also be at risk for vitamin D toxicity.
Not only does excessive use of vitamin D lead to vitamin D toxicity, but it may also cause more minor symptoms such as bloating, constipation, nausea, vomiting or heart palpitations. If you experience any of these side effects, stop taking the supplement and contact your doctor. Remember, these supplements are not regulated by the FDA.
An adult user of vitamin D supplements can take up to 4,000 IU’s per day on the average. However, if they exceed that number constantly, they may be at risk for vitamin D toxicity. The actual cause of vitamin D toxicity is the traffic jam of calcium in your blood that leads to severe symptoms of the illness.
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What Are the Symptoms of Vitamin D Toxicity?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include vomiting, frequent urination, nausea, weight loss, loss of appetite, weakness, constipation, heart palpitations, and kidney stones. If the user is experiencing some or a combination of these symptoms, they should consult a doctor.
Although these symptoms may either just be a reaction to the supplement or an early stage of vitamin D toxicity, they should not go unnoticed. These symptoms and the vitamin D toxicity can simply be treated by the stoppage of the vitamin D supplement and lowering calcium intake. However, if the user abused the substance to an extreme extent, they could end up being hospitalized.
How Much Is Too Much Vitamin D?
Though the average amount of vitamin D for adults is 4,000 IU’s per day, according to WebMD, recent studies show that some adults, depending on their weight and size, can take up to 10,000 IU’s per day. Though this amount of vitamin D is not necessarily healthy to take every day, there are proven benefits for increasing the amount of vitamin D in a daily diet.
While vitamin D is absorbed through sun exposure, natural foods, and beverages and supplements, the body is receiving vitamin D from all different angles. Calculating the amount of vitamin D a user is getting in one day is almost impossible. However, excessive use of vitamin D is generally directly related to supplements rather than natural intakes.
If a doctor recommends an excessive amount of vitamin D to a patient for medical reasons, it will typically be for a short amount of time in order to cure the disease or illness. Additionally, researchers and doctors are recommending that the best type of vitamin D supplement to consume is vitamin D3, which is similar to the type of vitamin D a person receives from exposure from the sun.
However, unless first consulting a doctor, a user should not exceed the average amount of 4,000 IU’s per day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I have to take vitamin D supplements?
Unless your doctor has instructed you to take vitamin D supplements, you do not have to take them.
Are vitamin D supplements safe?
Whether or not vitamin D supplements are safe to take depends on a number of factors. Learn more about the safety of supplements here.
What supplements do I need to take?
No one can answer that aside from your doctor. To learn more about the various supplements that doctors commonly recommend, check out this article.
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