Your body uses vitamin D for calcium absorption, bone growth, immune function, reducing inflammation, regulating blood pressure and cell growth. It is a fat-soluble vitamin, so your body stores some vitamin D for later use. Although you are unlikely to consume too much vitamin D from food, you can get too much vitamin D from supplements, especially if you have certain health conditions.
Upper Limit
Avoid the risk of vitamin D toxicity by taking supplements in doses lower than the tolerable upper limit set by the Food and Nutrition Board, unless you are under a doctor's supervision. For infants up to 6 months old, this limit is 1,000 IU per day, and for infants from 7 to 12 months old it is 1,500 IU per day. Children from 1 to 3 years old should not consume more than 2,500 IU per day and those between 4 and 8 should consume less than 3,000 IU per day. Everyone 9 and older should consume less than 4,000 IU per day.
Toxicity Symptoms
Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, or hypervitaminosis D, include confusion, constipation, lack of appetite, nausea, kidney stones, abnormal heart rhythm, vomiting and weakness. High levels of vitamin D can cause levels of calcium in the blood to increase too much, which can lead to kidney failure if left untreated.
Risk Factors
Consuming 10,000 IU to 50,000 IU of vitamin D per day may cause vitamin D toxicity, depending on your age. Toxicity symptoms usually take a few months to appear even at these high doses. People who take diuretics or have hypoparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, lymphoma, kidney or liver conditions have a higher risk for developing vitamin D toxicity.
Considerations
Aim to get your recommended dietary intake of vitamin D mainly from food and through spending time in the sun, as this will make it unlikely you will consume too much vitamin D. Food also provides other essential nutrients in addition to vitamin D. However, some people may need to take supplements to reach the recommended amounts.
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