Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be consumed in your diet or synthesized by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium, and a deficiency can cause weak bones. Taking too much vitamin D, on the other hand, can be dangerous.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Hypervitaminosis D, caused by excessive vitamin D intake, can cause you to have a loss of appetite. Nausea, vomiting and constipation can also result from taking too much vitamin D. You may also feel constantly thirsty and dehydrated, though this is due to the increased urination that you may experience.
Muscle Weakness
Consuming too much vitamin D can also affect your muscles. Muscle contractions are controlled by changes in calcium levels within your muscle fibers. If you overdose on vitamin D, your calcium levels rise -- called hypercalcemia -- which can result in chronic muscle weakness and muscle twitching. This does not just affect your skeletal muscles; it also affects muscles in your cardiovascular system. Consequently, consuming too much vitamin D can result in an irregular heartbeat.
Other Effects
Consuming too much vitamin D can also cause you to develop kidney stones. These kidney stones, a result of hypercalcemia, can cause intense pain in your flank or lower back. Hypercalcemia can also cause fatigue, depression, irritability, dementia or problems with memory.
Considerations
Although taking too much vitamin D can be toxic, its risks are often overstated, the Vitamin D Council states. Vitamin D can be toxic if you consume more than 40,000 international units, or IU, each day -- though, in theory, lower doses combined with heavy sun exposure could also increase your risk of a vitamin D overdose. The body makes approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D after 30 minutes of full-body exposure to the sun, so more research needs to be done as to how much vitamin D constitutes an overdose.
Member Comments