Vitamins are good for our health, but this doesn’t mean we go on popping them. A lot of people consume more vitamins than necessary in various forms —syrups, capsules, pills — even though their diet provides them the required amount. Before you pop those wonder pills again, ask yourself these questions:
Do I have a proven (confirmed by laboratory tests) vitamin deficiency?
If the answer is no, then you don’t need any supplements. If you are vitamin deficient then you can take supplements, but this has to be done under the supervision of your doctor or dietician.
What’s the harm in consuming vitamins in excess? Hypervitaminosis or vitamin poisoning is the toxicity caused by high levels of vitamins in the body. Over consumption of any vitamin via diet alone, is rare. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are more likely to cause hypervitaminosis, as opposed to water soluble vitamins (B and C), as any excess gets stored in the body.
Effects of overdosing:
Vitamin A: Dryness of lips, nasal mucosa, eye mucosa, peeling of skin and hair loss. Vitamin D: Increased levels of serum calcium and phosphorous, causing calcinosis (deposition of calcium in lungs and heart).
Vitamin E: Impaired bone mineralisation.
Vitamin B1: respiratory failure.
Vitamin B3 (niacin): Histamine release, which may be harmful to asthmatics.
Vitamin B5: Diarrhoea
Vitamin B6: Sensory neuropathy
Vitamin B9 (folate): Renders zinc unavailable.
Vit C: Gastrointestinal disturbances.
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Given the strength of vitamin d tablets available over the counter, it is almost impossible to overdose. The most common tablets are 400IU, the dose that starts to cause toxicity in a small section of the population is 40,000IU a day. So you need 100 tablets. However, a single dose of 40,000IU will not do it to need to continue the process day in day out for months.
The version of D that can easily cause toxicity is 1,25(OH)D but this can only be administered by a doctor as an injection.
Calcinosis is often a symptom of too little vitamin d in the blood, as a low level of 25(OH)D3 often causes hyperparathyroidism and the blood calcium levels to rise.
To explain vitamin d. The stuff formed on your skin or taken in tablet form is inert. However, it is a form that can either pass through the skin or the gut. The body takes this material and converts it into 25(OH)D which is also inert and is the storage form. When the body uses vitamin d it converts it to 1,25(OH)D. This is the form that controls calcium levels. If the 25(OH) levels are too low the production of 1,25(OH) is incorrect and this triggers the parathyroid in an attempt to stop the calcium levels going to low. However, often this process goes wrong and it ends up with the bones dissolving causing the blood calcium and phosphorous levels going to high. This also why incorrect use of 1,25(OH)D injections can cause problems.
Given the correct sun exposure the body will make 20,000IU of D3 a day every day. This therefore is probably the correct amount to have.
Ludicrous scare mongering. Don’t drink water unless you have been clinically assessed as deficient as too much water has been proven to cause death. And in the case of children, never give them water unless directed by a physician.