Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble, meaning they are broken down and stored by the fat throughout your body. Vitamin D is the "sunshine" vitamin because your body can make small amounts when exposed to direct sunlight. You also get some vitamin D from your diet and dietary supplements, if you take them. Since your body stores vitamin D, it is possible to consume too much and reach toxic levels.
Proper Dosage
Vitamin D helps to keep your bones strong by aiding in the absorption of calcium. Additionally, it plays a role in cell growth, proper immune function and reduction of inflammation, explains the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D measurements are in international units, or IU. Your infant requires 400 IU until 12 months of age. For the majority of your life, ages 1 to 70, you need 600 IU of vitamin D. As a senior, you require a greater dosage since your bones become brittle and you have a greater risk of fractures. After age 70, your body needs 800 IU of vitamin D.
Tolerable Upper Limit
Tolerable upper limits, or ULs, exist to prevent overdoses of vitamin D. While you should stick to the proper dosage for your age group, you can safely consume a little more without having adverse effects. Up to 6 months of age, your baby can have up to 1,000 IU of vitamin D, which increases to 1,500 IU between 7 and 12 months. From 1 to 3 years of age, the maximum amount of vitamin D your child can have is 2,500 IU, or 3,000 IU between 4 to 8 years. After age 9 and throughout your life, you shouldn't consume more than 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
Health Effects of Overconsumption
Vitamin D toxicity, called hypervitaminosis D, occurs from excessive intake of the vitamin, not by too much sun exposure, explains the Linus Pauling Institute. If left untreated, you may experience kidney stones, bone loss and hardening of the heart and kidneys. Additionally, having too much vitamin D can cause an excessive absorption of calcium, or hypercalcemia. This condition can lead to hyperparathyroidism, a condition that causes the thyroid to produce an abundance of certain hormones, as well as lymphoma, a cancer of lymphatic cells in the immune system.
Food Sources
Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, but producers fortify several foods with this important vitamin. Several types of fish are good sources of vitamin D. A 3 oz. serving of salmon provides about 450 IU, 3 oz. of tuna has 150 IU and the same amount of mackerel contains nearly 400 IU of vitamin D. The yolk of an egg contains some vitamin D, about 21 IU. An 8 oz. glass of fortified orange juice can have up to 100 IU, while a glass of fortified milk provides as much as 125 IU.
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