A powder here and an effervescent tablet there: the demand for dietary supplements is high. Especially now that the summer months are over, some people like to take vitamin D to prepare themselves for the gray season. But how much is too much? According to U.S. Poison Control Center data, the number of people exposed to vitamin D poisoning increased by as much as 1,600 percent between 2001 and 2005.
The following five symptoms can be a sign that you are suffering from a vitamin D overdose. However, they do not replace medical advice. If you have any physical complaints, be sure to contact a medical professional.
1
You’re always thirsty and need to pee
“In this case, the kidneys have to work harder to filter out the calcium, which leads to excessive thirst and causes frequent urination,” explains Dr. Zhaoping Li, head of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California in Los Angeles, told Business Insider.
2
You feel confused
He was admitted to the emergency room in a dazed and confused state. The man is not an isolated case: “The consumption of vitamin D supplements has increased,” the research team notes in the study.
3
You have muscle pain and cramps
4
You fall often and are in pain
“An overdose of vitamin D can lead to soft tissue or vascular calcification, which in turn impairs normal body function,” explains Dr. Eduardo Villamor, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, told Business Insider.
5
You suffer from constipation, nausea or vomiting
This is how you dose vitamin D correctly
According to the Swiss Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (FSVO), the intake of vitamin D from food is low. Much more important is the body’s own formation in the skin when it is exposed to the sun.
These are the recommendations:
- Spending time and doing physical activities outdoors is recommended, as the skin’s own production of vitamin D is crucial.
- Make sure you eat a healthy, varied and balanced diet according to the Swiss food pyramid. These foods are particularly rich in vitamin D: fatty fish such as herring, salmon and especially wild salmon, egg yolks, certain edible mushrooms such as mushrooms and chanterelles.
- When taking vitamin D supplements (food supplements or medicines), the correct application and dosage must be observed.
- To avoid a vitamin D overdose, vitamin D from various sources (fortified foods, dietary supplements, medicines) should not be consumed at the same time.
“Due to Switzerland’s geographical latitude and the associated insufficient sunlight, around 60 percent of the population has an insufficient vitamin D supply in the winter months,” says an information sheet.
