Be it for our bones, muscles or our immune system – vitamin D is essential for our body. We produce around 80 to 90 percent of the vitamin ourselves through the skin that is exposed to the UVB rays of the sun. Since many people have low vitamin D levels in winter, it is advisable to supplement the sun vitamin. However, an incorrect dosage can be dangerous and cause poisoning.
In the cold season, many people have low vitamin D levels. According to Barmer Krankenkasse, almost 10 million people nationwide have a vitamin D deficiency . For this reason, it is recommended to take vitamin D supplements. However, you should have your vitamin D levels checked beforehand and consult your doctor about the dosage. Also read the instructions for use of your respective preparation carefully.
Otherwise, excessive intake of the supplements can lead to dangerous poisoning. The European Food Safety Authority advises adults and young people not to consume more than 100 micrograms per day. 100 micrograms correspond to 4,000 international units (IU).
Signs of vitamin D overdose
In the case of an overdose, a distinction can be made between acute and chronic. Acute poisoning occurs when you take an excessively high dose of vitamin D all at once. Chronic intoxication develops when taking an increased dose of the preparation over a long period of time. An overdose can be detected by checking your blood levels for vitamin D. If this is over 100 ng/ml, it is an overdose.
Vitamin D overdose leads to increased calcium levels. This can be explained by the fact that due to the excess, the body absorbs more calcium from food and the mineral is released from the bones. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the increased calcium value can trigger the following physical symptoms:
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite
- Strong thirst
- Increased urination
- Dehydration
- stomach pain
- headache
- exhaustion
- nervousness
- cardiac arrhythmias
- Kidney problems such as kidney stones and kidney failure
In order to lower the increased calcium level, it can be compensated for by drinking plenty of fluids or by taking glucocorticoids (cortisol) and calcitonin (calcium-lowering hormone). It is also advisable to discontinue the vitamin D preparation for a few weeks so that the disturbed calcium level can normalize again.
If severe hypercalcemia is present, blood purification is necessary.
By the way: A vitamin D excess cannot occur naturally through exposure to sunlight or the consumption of foods that contain a lot of vitamin D (e.g. oily fish such as salmon).
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