Can Too Much Vitamin D Create Health Risks? Here’s What Experts Have to Say

Vitamin D has been long known for helping our bodies to absorb and retain minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which is crucial for bones. Vitamin D can be obtained from several sources including exposure to sunlight, supplements and certain food items.

Apart from natural sources like saline fish, red meat, egg yolk, etc, there are supplements used by people who have a deficiency of this vitamin. However, these supplements are always taken after a doctor’s consultation.

As we know excess of anything is bad, likewise, overuse of supplements has adverse effects on our bodies. According to Dr. Karun Makhija, MBBS and MD in Preventive Medicine, excessive dosage of Vitamin D can damage the kidneys and bones and could lead to more than the normal formation of calcium in our body. The health expert suggests that people who take supplements quite often must get their blood tests done to find out the toxicity levels. In case of high blood levels, one should immediately stop the use of Vitamin D supplements.

Shedding the light on correct supplement dosage, Priyanka Jaiswal, Co-Founder and Chief Dietician of Diet2Nourish, said that it depends on the age and health of a person. She explains that generally minimum dosage starts from 400 IU (International Units) per day and scales up to 800 IU. Priyanka further said that cases of deaths due to the use of supplements have never come to her notice but wrong dosage and too much intake can affect bone fragility and calcium absorption.

Points to be remembered:

• Overdose of Vitamin D supplements damages bones and kidneys as well as other parts of the body.
• Consulting a doctor before its use and knowing about the correct dosage is crucial.
• To find toxicity levels get a blood test done.
• Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D.