Vitamin D plays an extremely important role in keeping your body cells healthy. Also, it helps to build strong bones by increasing the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Sometimes people don’t get enough vitamin D. So supplements are very common. Many kinds of supplements are available in the market. Well, many of those who consume such supplements are not aware of the health risks of taking too much Vitamin D.
However, there are chances, although rare for this vitamin D to build up toxins in your body. This effect is mainly due to some factors like:
- Age
- Skin color
- Living area
- Weight
- Foods you eat
In most cases, Vitamin D overdoses result from taking high amounts of vitamin D supplements. Since sunlight and food do not provide too much vitamin D we have to rely on vitamin D supplements.
So we should be aware of the consequences of taking too much vitamin D more than it’s benefits. Hence in this article, we will show some of the health risks of taking too much vitamin D.
How Vitamin D Cloud Its Benefits?
High levels of vitamin D in the body implies vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis D.
Vitamin deficiency surely leads to some diseases. But taking too much vitamins do not promote your health. In fact, the have them more maybe leads to worse conditions.
However, when taking more vitamin D the levels of which can become so high. That causes there isn’t any room left on the carrier proteins. That results in “free” vitamin D in the body. Which may overwhelm the signaling processes affected by vitamin D.
Also, the main signaling processes are increasing the absorption of calcium from the digestive system. Which leads to hypercalcemia, which is the elevated levels of calcium in the blood.
High calcium levels can bind to other tissues and damage them, including the kidneys.
Side Effects Of Vitamin D
1. Dehydration And Eye Dryness
High calcium levels reduce the effects of antidiuretic hormones. This hormone helps the kidneys to retain water.
Therefore, fewer hormones may result in the production of larger quantities of diluted urine. Which causes lose of large quantities of water and electrolytes from the body. So this leads to the conclusion that vitamin D toxicity may be prone to dehydration.
Also, this can also decrease tear production eventually causing your eyes to dry.
2. Poor Appetite Or Loss Of Weight
This symptom does not occur in everyone. Out of 10 people, 3 of them may undergo loss of appetite or weight loss.
Mainly, this happens only when you take a high dosage of vitamin D. As a result, this will increase the calcium level of blood.
3. Bone Pain And Bone Loss
The increased calcium level can reduce availability of enough hormones, which will make it difficult to bind minerals to bone.
Most importantly, High doses of vitamin D lowers vitamin K2 levels in the blood. Vitamin K2 plays a big role in binding calcium to the bones. So this leads to the belief that an increased amount of vitamin D can reduce vitamin K2’s activity.
4. Kidney Injury
The presence of high amount of vitamin D in your body can result in kidney injury or kidney damage.
When a large amount of calcium gets deposited in kidney tissues, nephrocalcinosis may occur. This condition can cause permanent kidney damage, and, eventually, kidney failure.
5. Damage Of Lungs
High levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood bind to form crystals, and they deposit in soft tissues. When many of these calcium salt deposits, they can impair the organ’s function.
Symptoms Of Vitamin D High Dosage
People who take too much vitamin D will experience any of the following symptoms within a few days of ingestion.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Headache
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weight loss
So, now that you know the health risks of taking too much vitamin D, keep your body healthy by taking only enough vitamins and nutrients. As always, consult your doctor before taking vitamins and minerals.