2023-05-31 09:22:56
Many people take additional vitamin D supplements, especially in winter. What if it gets too much? Symptoms, dangers and treatment of an overdose at a glance.
When the days get shorter and shorter in autumn and winter, many people turn to preparations that provide the body with additional nutrients Vitamin supply D. If we don’t get enough sun rays, a deficiency of the vital vitamin occurs. But It is not always advisable to take additional vitamin D. Because there is a risk of overdosing. But what exactly is that? And how dangerous can it be?
How much vitamin D is healthy?
An important function of vitamin D in the body is its involvement in bone metabolism, explains this Robert Koch Institute (RKI). But in order to fulfill these and many other tasks, the body must have enough vitamin D. Since the vitamin is formed in the body when the skin is in direct contact with sunlight, this is recommended RKIexpose your face, hands and arms to the sun two to three times a week between March and October and without sun protection in order to be adequately cared for.
But what if there is not enough sunlight? Then the vitamin D can get into the body through food. For this feed has the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) estimated values published: For children from one year and adults of all ages, the estimated value is given as 20 micrograms of vitamin D per day, which corresponds to 800 international units. The RKI also recommends preparations with a daily dose of up to 20 micrograms.
With frequent sun exposure, however, the desired supply can be achieved without taking a vitamin D preparation, according to the DGE.
Diagnosis: How is a vitamin D excess determined?
It is well known that too much of a good thing can be harmful. To find out if this is the case with vitamin D, doctors usually diagnose vitamin D levels with a blood test. If the blood test shows a high calcium level and high doses of vitamin D are taken at the same time, this indicates an excess.
Too much vitamin D: when do you speak of an overdose?
The dose makes the poison: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) therefore warns against overdosing on vitamin D. Overall, the following dose should not be exceeded:
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- Adults and children over the age of 11 should not exceed 100 per day microgram eat
- Children up to the age of 10 should have a maximum of 50 daily microgram Vitamin take D
How does vitamin D poisoning occur?
Too much vitamin D can lead to intoxication, also known as vitamin D poisoning. The RKI attributes this to the fact that vitamin D can be stored as a fat-soluble vitamin in fat and muscle tissue.
But the body’s own vitamin D formation and natural nutrition are not enough to suffer such overdoses. Then In this country, only a few foods contain high amounts of vitamin D. These are possible due to excessive intake of dietary supplements, high-dose medication, high consumption of fortified foods – or a combination of all of these variants. Because vitamin D can be stored in the body, both an acute and a gradual overdose are possible.
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However, the lack of vitamin D is much more common than an overdose: Measured by their serum blood levels, almost a third of adults in Germany are deficient in vitamin D. That shows one Study by the RKI on the vitamin D status in Germany from 2016. Accordingly, 38.4 percent of adults achieve adequate care.
Vitamin D: what are the consequences and symptoms of an overdose?
If too much vitamin D gets into the body via preparations, there is a risk of hypercalcemia. These are elevated levels of calcium in the body. These can lead to the following damage, among other things:
- nausea
- loss of appetite
- Stomach cramps
- Vomit
- kidney damage
- cardiac arrhythmias
- unconsciousness
The RKI expressly warns that the consequences may lead to death.
How is a vitamin D overdose treated?
Depending on the severity of the vitamin D overdose, it may be sufficient to stop taking the supplement until the effects of the high blood calcium levels are eliminated. When the excess is particularly severe, doctors prescribe drugs to suppress the release of calcium from the bones.
Vitamin D: how to avoid overdose?
The experts recommend using vitamin D supplements only when prescribed by a doctor. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) writes, for example: “A vitamin D deficiency can only be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. Supplementation or medication with vitamin D preparations should be carried out under medical supervision.” The German Society for Nutrition recommends an additional intake if an improvement in the vitamin D status cannot be achieved either through self-synthesis or through diet. Otherwise, the following applies above all: Sufficient sunlight is completely sufficient.
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