5 signs you are having too much Vitamin D

Too much of even a good thing can prove to be toxic for your body. The same is true for even the essential vitamins we consume. Vitamin D, an important nutrient also acts as a hormone and plays an important role in calcium absorption in the gut, supports muscle function and immune function, have neuroprotective properties and regulates brain cell activity. Not including enough Vitamin D in your diet can cause serious health conditions severely affecting your bone health and mental well-being. However, eating too much of Vitamin D too can translate into worrying side effects.

According to experts, taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months can cause toxicity. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults is 600 IU of vitamin D a day.

Having too much of Vitamin D can cause vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis, which is mostly caused by excess of dietary supplements as Vitamin D-fortified foods and sunlight exposure do not put you at such a risk.

Children aged one and older, as well as adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those at risk of vitamin D deficiency, need around 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day. For babies under one year, the recommended amount is between 8.5 and 10 micrograms per day.

Let's understand signs of too much Vitamin D in your system:Low appetite

One of the symptoms of overdosing on Vitamin D is reduction in appetite. When you lose appetite, you do not feel like eating much, and this can lead to fatigue and weakness. Too much Vitamin D in your system could increase calcium deposits in your blood also known as hypercalcemia, which may cause nausea, vomiting, weakness and low appetite. Getting the Vitamin D test done is important in this case.

Irregular bowel movements

Having too much of Vitamin D can traslate into gastrointestinal symptoms. One of the major signs of Vitamin D toxicity is constipation. Excess of calcium carbonate in your system could cause irregular bowel movements, which can add to your health woes.

Feeling of lethargy

Feeling of fatigue and lethargy is common in case of hypercalcemia that occurs due to excess Vitamin D intake. Fatigue is when you feel extreme tiredness and lack of energy which can interfere with your daily activities.

Increased risk of cancer

Experts say that excess Vitamin D consumption is linked to increased risk of cancer, heart problems, and even bone fractures.

Frequent urination

Another symptoms that is linked to overdosing Vitamin D is frequent urination. It is however sign of many chronic diseases like diabetes and kidney issues.

Bone pain

This is also a sign of low Vitamin D, but the same can happen when you load up on too much of it which can put you at risk of several bone-related issues.

Vitamin D toxicity can be rarely caused without overdosing on supplementation. According to Brazilian Journal of Nephrology, unintentional vitamin D poisoning has also been associated with overfortification of milk, poisoning by table sugar, and contamination of cooking oil.

As per the report, hypervitaminosis D occurred in eight patients, where source was found to be an error at a local dairy where excessive vitamin D fortification of milk up to 232,565 IU per quarter was done instead of the standard 400 IU per quarter.

To avoid Vitamin D toxicity, it is recommended to focus on natural intake of the important nutrient. Fatty fish, salmon, tuna and sardines can help you naturally enhance the vitamin D levels. Egg yolks, cod liver oil and Vitamin D-fortified foods are also considered a rich source of Vitamin D. Getting sunlight in the early hours of morning is one of the excellent ways to get an ideal dose of Vitamin D.

It is important to regulate Vitamin D levels in order to be healthy.