Vitamin D is essential to your good health, but like everything else, it should not be overdone! It is possible to experience a vitamin D overdose, especially since we actually need fairly low levels of vitamin D in our bodies to function.

Vitamin D overdose causes Hypervitaminosis D due to toxic levels in the body. It can be serious if the causes of the symptoms are not understood and intake of the vitamin stopped.

What causes of vitamin D overdose? Exposure to sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, and as little as fifteen minutes of sunlight “therapy” three times a week is all you really need for your body to produce the vitamin D you need. You cannot overdose on vitamin D by getting too much sun, though, as your body only produces what you need.

You will probably also not experience a vitamin D overdose from food sources. Too many supplements are often to blame for excessive vitamin D intake, as your body cannot shut down the absorption of vitamins from supplements. This can cause the build up of vitamin D to toxic levels. Ironically, toxic levels of vitamin D are often the result of therapeutic prescription of the supplement due to an original deficiency – high levels may have been prescribed for patients with rickets, for instance.

A vitamin D overdose is never the result of a single high dose, rather the levels of toxicity in the body builds up in the body’s fat cells over time. Most nutrients that we consume too much of, the body simply gets rid of; however, with vitamin D it has no such mechanism, but stores the excess in the fat cells. It is the stored vitamin D that eventually leads to toxic amounts in your body.

The upper intake levels for babies are 25 micrograms, while for older children and adults, 50 micrograms per day are sufficient. Children will suffer from toxicity more quickly than adults.

What are the health risks of a vitamin D overdose?

1 Because vitamin D has primarily the function of encouraging calcium absorption, high levels of calcium in the blood is possible. This could lead to excessive calcium in the intestinal tract.

2 High levels of phosphate and calcium in the lungs, heart and kidneys, which can damage your organs permanently.

3 Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.

4 High levels in the kidneys can lead to kidney stones, renal failure and excessive production of urine.

5 If you are pregnant, a vitamin D overdose can cause deformities in your baby.

6 Other symptoms include bone pain, fatigue, excessive thirst and dehydration, itchy skin and deafness.

An overdose can be treated by simply stopping the intake of supplements, and lowering the amount of calcium you ingest until the symptoms stop.

Always consult your doctor before taking vitamin supplements, and in the case of vitamin D, when you get a lot of sun exposure, you will probably not need to take vitamin D supplements at all. Vitamin D in the correct amounts is essential to good health.

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Everyone knows that we need vitamin D, but how much do we know about it? In this article we’re taking an in-depth look at some vitamin D facts.

Vitamin D, or calciferol as it is also known, is a fat-soluble vitamin and pro-hormone. This means that is a precursor to a hormone that is used by the body. The name calciferol refers to its primary function of boosting the deposit of calcium in the bones. There are different forms of the vitamin, of which D2 and D3 are the most important in the human body.

One of the most interesting vitamin D facts is that it’s most well known function is to balance the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body. The absorption of calcium is assisted by the vitamin, building bone density and strength. This means that a vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, both skeletal diseases.

The most important source of vitamin D is sunlight – the ultraviolet rays trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. In certain geographic areas there are insufficient sunlight during wintertime, and in some cases the modern lifestyle prevents people from getting enough sunlight exposure.

Another source of vitamin D is dietary and supplemental Dietary vitamin sources are fatty fish, fortified food, and fish oils. Mushrooms are the only vegan source of naturally significant levels of vitamin D.

Some interesting vitamin D facts

* Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis, depression, diabetes and obesity, prostate cancer and breast cancer

* Ultraviolet sunlight rays cannot penetrate glass, so your skin will not generate vitamin D if you are getting your sun exposure through a car or office window.

* The use of sunscreens will prevent synthesis of vitamin D by your body. Therefore get some unprotected sun regularly during the cooler hours of he day.

* You cannot overdose on vitamin D by overexposure to the sun: your body will stop manufacturing the vitamin.

* Dietary sources of vitamin D hardly ever provide sufficient vitamin D, even if you use fortified products. Supplementation is almost always necessary in certain areas of the world.

* Kidney and liver problems can prevent your body from activating the vitamin D.

* Fat can prevent the circulation of vitamin D, so obese people need higher levels of supplementation.

Vitamin D facts: some groups of people are more likely to be vitamin D deficient

* Babies that are breastfed and do not get enough sun exposure may suffer a deficiency, which in extreme cases may cause rickets.

* Older people may need more supplementation, as older skin is less efficient.

* A darker skin is less efficient at synthesizing vitamin D.

* Some diseases, e.g. cystic fibrosis, some forms of liver disease, and Crohn’s disease may affect the body’s ability to synthesize and use vitamin D negatively.

In view of these facts, you will agree that it is extremely beneficial to your health to ensure that you have sufficient amounts of this vitamin in your system. As with any supplementation program, it is a good idea to check with your doctor before taking additional vitamins, as although side effects are extremely rare, they may occur.

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The health benefits of vitamin D are well known. Vitamin D is crucial in supporting the absorption and depositing of calcium into our bones, ensuring that bone density and strength is enhanced, to a large degree preventing diseases of the bone. Are foods with vitamin D the most important source of vitamin D?

The most important supply of vitamin D is our own bodies. It is the only vitamin that is actually synthesized by our bodies, but it needs sunlight to trigger the synthesizing process – that is why it is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin. In some geographic areas people can actually experience a deficiency in vitamin D because a lack of sunlight exposure. As a matter of fact, this lack of sunshine, and the resulting lack of vitamin D, has been linked to various diseases, including depression. Foods with vitamin D are one way of supplementing our bodies’ vitamin D requirements.

There are actually not very many foods with natural vitamin D sources in significant amounts. There are foods that have been fortified with vitamin D, and these are a valuable source, although in itself will probably not be sufficient.

The following are known as foods with vitamin D:

Mushrooms (especially Shiitake & Button): Probably the only source of dietary vitamin D suitable for vegans, these mushrooms have surprising amounts of vitamin D. They are also rich in the B vitamins. If you purchase the dried versions, ensure that you buy those that have been dried in sunlight.

Mackerel, Salmon, Herring, Tuna, Sardines: – in fact, most fatty fish that are also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are good sources of vitamin D. A portion of mackerel can actually supply up to 90% of your required daily intake. Sardines in particular are excellent sources of dietary vitamin D.

Cod Liver oil: Cod liver oil was one of the first sources of vitamin D used medicinally for children with rickets. It is very rich in Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids; one tablespoon of oil a day is sufficient. Research has shown that cod liver oil prevents osteoporosis as well.

Eggs: Although only containing small amounts, eggs are another food source for the vitamin.

Liver and liver products are also foods with vitamin D.

Fortified foods with vitamin D: Milk is generally fortified with vitamin D in the United States, with 98% of the milk supply containing significant amounts of the vitamin. Read food labels before making purchasing decisions, as orange juice, pastries and margarine are routinely fortified as well.

Supplementing your vitamin D intake with vitamin supplements

It is very important to take sufficient amounts of calcium and magnesium along with vitamin D supplements.

The health benefits of Vitamin D are incontrovertible. Most people should get enough of the vitamin with sunlight synthesis and in their diets. Interestingly vitamin D is stored in the fat cells for up to sixty days, so strictly speaking you do not need to ingest vitamin D on a daily basis. There are excellent reasons to ensure that you have sufficient vitamin D levels in your system. Take care of your health!

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