Table of contents:
- What is the recommended dose of vitamin D?
- Side effects of excess vitamin D.
- 1. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite
- 2. Kidney failure
- 3. Stomach pain, constipation, and diarrhea
- 4. Increased calcium in the blood
- 5. Porous bones
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that plays a role in maintaining healthy bones and body cells to function properly. The main source of naturally occurring vitamin D is ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from sunlight. However, you can also get it from several types of additional foods and supplements.
Maybe all this time you have only focused on information about vitamin D deficiency, but it turns out that excess vitamin D can also cause negative side effects for the body. Usually this happens because you take too much vitamin D supplements in the long run.
What is the recommended dose of vitamin D?
The recommended dose of vitamin D based on the Ministry of Health's Nutritional Adequacy Rate is 15 μg (micrograms) per day for children and adults, both women and men. Meanwhile, the elderly need to meet the daily vitamin D needs of 20 μg.
To ensure safety, you shouldn't take more than 100 μg of vitamin D or 4,000 international units per day.
Side effects of excess vitamin D.
The condition of poisoning due to excess vitamin D is called hypervitaminosis D. Although it is very rare, you usually run the risk of experiencing this from taking large amounts of supplements. So, being in the sun for too long or eating foods that contain vitamin D is not the cause of this condition.
1. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite
If your body has excess vitamin D, you can experience nausea, vomiting, and lose your appetite. A study followed by 10 people who took high doses of vitamin D experienced these symptoms.
Four people experienced nausea and vomiting and three others lost their appetite. Another similar study also found that a woman experienced nausea and weight loss after receiving a supplement that turned out to contain 78 times the vitamin D listed on the label.
2. Kidney failure
Excess vitamin D intake can cause kidney failure. In one case it was found that a man was hospitalized with kidney failure. After being examined, it turned out that he had increased levels of calcium in the blood and other symptoms that occurred after receiving vitamin D injections by his doctor.
Most studies also report moderate to severe kidney failure in people who have excess vitamin D in their bodies.
3. Stomach pain, constipation, and diarrhea
Apart from being associated with digestive problems in general, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea can be signs of hypervitaminosis D in the body. A study states that children aged 18 months experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms after being given 50,000 IU of vitamin D3.
These symptoms disappear after stopping the supplement. Another study stated that a boy suffered from stomach pain and constipation after taking vitamin D supplements without clear regulations.
4. Increased calcium in the blood
Increased consumption of vitamin D is directly proportional to an increase in calcium in the blood. This is because the body absorbs calcium from the food you eat. If you consume excess vitamin D, the level of calcium in the blood will be excess which can cause several negative effects such as indigestion, fatigue, dizziness, excessive thirst, and increased urination intensity.
A case study showed an increase in calcium levels in two men who took vitamin D supplements at an inappropriate dose. Calcium in the blood reaches 13.2-15 mg / dl even though normally it's only about 8.5-10.2 mg / dl. As a result, it took a year after stopping the consumption of supplements to normalize blood levels of calcium again.
5. Porous bones
Although vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption and bone metabolism, too much vitamin D can also cause bone loss. Some researchers claim that excess vitamin D can lead to decreased levels of vitamin K2 in the blood.
One of the most important functions of vitamin K2 is to maintain calcium levels in the bones and blood. Researchers believe that high enough vitamin D levels can inhibit the function of vitamin K2. For that, avoid consuming excessive vitamin D supplements and consume more foods that contain vitamin K2 such as dairy products to balance it.
Although D hypervitamonis is rare, you still need to be careful about taking this supplement. Consult your doctor before deciding to take it to find out the right dose for your body.
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