What Happens If You Get Too Much Vitamin D? ...Saudi Arabia

While most people don’t get enough vitamin D—a nutrient that’s crucial for bone and muscle health—it is possible to get too much. This can happen if you are taking multiple vitamin D-containing supplements, such as a daily multivitamin as well as one formulated for bone health. Not being aware of how much vitamin D you’re taking can be dangerous.Here, a registered dietitian explains what happens if you take too much vitamin D and gives tips on making sure you’re consuming the right amount.?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?

Jessica McAllister, RD,a registered dietitian and the owner of Dietitian Approved Nutrition, shares that vitamin D is primarily synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight but is also found in some food sources, such as fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, fortified dairy, orange juice and cereals, and egg yolks. People who don’t live somewhere sunny or don’t eat these foods may choose to take a vitamin D supplement to meet their nutrient needs.Ideally, adults should aim to get 600 international units of vitamin D a day. (If you are over 70, aim for 800 international units a day.) If you’re relying on sunshine and diet to meet your vitamin D goals, McAllister says that it would be difficult to get so much vitamin D that it reaches toxic levels. You can't get too much vitamin D from the sun (even in instances where you get a sunburn) because the body controls how much vitamin D is made in response to soaking up the sun's rays.

But if you are among the 35% of Americans who are deficient in vitamin D, it’s possible to consume too much if you are taking a prescription medication or supplement to fill in the gap.Related: If You Want to Live to 100, This Is the Vitamin That Will Actually Make a Difference

“Excessive consumption, especially from supplements or prescription forms, can lead to toxicity. Although rare, documented cases of clinical toxicity highlight the necessity of adhering to appropriate dosage recommendations,” McAllister says. She explains that taking multiple high-dose vitamin D supplements, whether intentionally or accidentally, might be too much vitamin D. “If prescription-strength vitamin D is not properly monitored, it might unintentionally lead to toxicity. Sometimes, the actual vitamin D content in products might be much higher than stated due to production errors, especially in unlicensed or under-regulated products,” she warns.Related: 'I'm a Longevity Expert, and This Is the One Vitamin I'm Begging Everyone Over 50 to Get More Of'Certain people are at risk for getting too much vitamin D. McAllister says that this can include infants, young children and elderly adults with certain conditions that impair vitamin D metabolism. She explains that people with absorption disorders like celiac disease, Crohn's disease or obesity, where vitamin D might accumulate in fat, may have unpredictable responses to supplementation.

What Happens if You Get Too Much Vitamin D?

While vitamin D toxicity is rare, it still happens to 4,500 people in the U.S. each year. Consuming more than 2,000 international units of vitamin D is considered too much.

If you are taking multiple vitamin D-containing supplements and start consuming too much, it can cause a cascade of health problems. McAllister says that you may start experiencing nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and constipation.

Related: Gastroenterologists Are Begging People To Pay Attention to the Side Effects of These Two Common Vitamins

More seriously, she says excessive vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition characterized by elevated calcium levels in the blood. All of those unpleasant symptoms named above are signs of hypercalcemia.

Too much vitamin D can also negatively impact your kidneys and McAllister says can cause increased thirst, excessive urination, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney stones or renal failure.

She adds that other symptoms of getting too much vitamin D include muscle weakness, difficulty walking, confusion, lethargy, abnormal heart rhythms and bone pain from soft tissue calcification, caused by a buildup of calcium in the blood.

While vitamin D toxicity is dangerous, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a vitamin D supplement if you need it. It just means you need to be aware of how much vitamin D is in any supplement you’re taking. As with any nutrient, it’s best to get it naturally if you can, which in this case means through sunshine and foods like fatty fish, eggs, and fortified foods. If you are taking a supplement, just make sure you’re not getting more than the vitamin D that’s recommended for your age. (For most adults, that’s 600 international units a day.)

With these guidelines in place, you can feel good about your vitamin D intake. If you have any questions about your nutrient needs, talk with your healthcare provider.

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Related: What’s the Best Time of Day To Take Multivitamins? Here Are 3 Things To Consider

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