Is Vitamin D dangerous to health?

Vitamin D is always considered as one of the pivotal supplements for human body. Vitamin D deficiency leads to a number of health issues that can ultimately make you rush to the hospital. Being Sun the natural source of Vitamin D, everyone must try to get exposure to sunlight. There are also several foods rich in Vitamin D which if taken regularly can balance it in human body. At times, the doctors recommend vitamin D supplement to patients who lack it in required amount.

But as we say, anything excessive is not fair, so taking supplements more than need or having much of Vitamin D in your body may lead to serious health concerns. Do you have any idea, how serious it can be? Let’s have a look.

Risk of vitamin D overdose

Vitamin D can be that serious as we can never think of. A recent report revealed that a British man who overdosed on vitamin D supplements was hospitalised for eight days as he kept vomiting continuously and lost 28 pounds in just three months. Within this span, he suffered from nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and repeated bouts of vomiting, along with cramping in the legs and ringing in the ears. At a quantity of 150,000 IU, which is 375 times of the recommended dose, the man had to get hospitalised. Even after the discontinuation of the supplement, his symptoms suggest permanent damage to the body.

Signs of Vitamin D Toxicity

Vitamin D toxicity can be self assumed provided your body starts showing these symptoms. In this case, the man lost 12.7 kg in just three months, after experiencing vomiting, nausea, leg cramps, abdominal pain, tinnitus, dry mouth, increased thirst, and diarrhoea. An initial blood test revealed that he had serum vitamin D levels of over 400 nmol/L, which is 8 times the amount recommended.

How to ensure proper vitamin D levels

Experts say, getting at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight absorbed into the skin, twice a week can make your body Vitamin D efficient. Among the foods highest in vitamin D are fatty fish and seafood. Free-ranged and pastured eggs are a great source of vitamin D, as chickens with access to sunlight produce more of it in their eggs than those that remain indoors. Before taking vitamin D supplements, make sure to get in touch with the doctor for the recommended dose. Few foods naturally contain vitamin D like seafood or egg yolks, dairy or plant milks etc. Other than fortified foods, mushrooms are the only sufficient, non-animal source of vitamin D.

Do I need vitamin D supplements?

Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body. Lack of vitamin D can lead to serious health concerns like bone deformities such as rickets In children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

So we suggest that you must take vitamin D supplements only after consulting to a doctor. Else it might cause health concerns beyond your imagination.