It's a workhorse nutrient that strengthens bones, supports immune function, helps the heart, and powers the body in many other ways. But recent findings about vitamin D are clear: High doses do not improve heart and circulatory health for most adults any more than modest doses do.
High doses of vitamin D can raise blood levels of calcium (hypercalcemia), which can damage the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels.
Too much vitamin D can cause harmful high calcium levels. Tell your doctor right away if any of these signs of high vitamin D/calcium levels occur: nausea/vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, mental/mood changes, unusual tiredness.
vitamin D is an emerging risk factor of AF, and is implicated in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. It has been established that this vitamin is extensively involved in the regulation of both the renin angiotensin aldosterone system and the immune system.
Excess serum vitamin D levels (>150–250 ng/mL) are also dangerous with possible outcomes such as gastrointestinal disorders (anorexia, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea), hypercalcemia, hypovolemia, cardiac arrhythmias, suppression of parathyroid hormone, and neuropsychiatric disorders [5].
Safety and side effects
However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D might experience: Nausea and vomiting. Poor appetite and weight loss.
Strengthens Bones
Vitamin D3 aids in the management and absorption of calcium, as well as being essential to your bones (and teeth). Calcium is the most common mineral in the body. The majority of this element is found in our bones and teeth.
Unless your doctor recommends it, avoid taking more than 4,000 IU per day, which is considered the safe upper limit.
Vitamin D undergoes further chemical changes, first in the liver and then in the kidneys, to become calcitriol. Calcitriol acts on the intestine, kidneys, and bones to maintain normal levels of blood calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin D and sleep: The surprising connection
Early research suggests it is inversely related to melatonin, your sleep hormone. Increasing vitamin D levels may suppress melatonin levels. So, it makes sense that taking it at night could disrupt your sleep.
Conclusion: Oral vitamin D 3 has no significant effect on blood pressure in people with vitamin D deficiency. It reduces systolic blood pressure in people with vitamin D deficiency that was older than 50 years old or obese.
Vitamin D exerts pleiotropic antiatherogenic effects, such as regulation of vascular cell growth, migration and differentiation, immune response modulation, and regulation of cytokine production, inflammation, and fibrotic pathways, all of which play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture (37).
Vitamin D is also plentiful in fortified foods such as cereals, orange juice, soy and milk. If your vitamin D is particularly low and you have congestive heart failure, your doctor may recommend you take supplements regularly.
Most importantly, these studies show that treatment with vitamin D3 can significantly restore the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by several diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, while also reducing the risk of heart attack.
There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.
The two top times to supplement with Vitamin D are in the morning and with a meal, preferably breakfast or lunch. First thing in the morning: There are many benefits to taking Vitamin D in the morning. The biggest benefit is that if you do it first thing, you won't forget about it later.
For adults, if you're taking a loading dose for severe vitamin D deficiency you'll usually take it daily or weekly for 6 to 10 weeks. To maintain your vitamin D levels or prevent deficiency you'll usually take colecalciferol long term.
In summary, long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe.
Two forms of vitamin D are available in supplements: vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Both can help correct vitamin D deficiency, but most doctors recommend D3 because it is slightly more active and therefore slightly more effective.
“Most patients who require vitamin D supplements should take a small daily dose,” Nate Wood, MD, Instructor of General Medicine at Yale Medicine, told Health. “For patients who are severely deficient in vitamin D, a larger weekly dose may be prescribed for the short-term.”
Optimal Vitamin K2 intake is crucial to avoid the calcium plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, thus keeping the risk and rate of calcification as low as possible.
Exercise regularly
Exercise can improve overall cardiovascular health and help restore the heart's natural rhythm. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety. Cardiovascular exercise helps strengthen the heart, which can prevent or reduce palpitations.
The most common electrolytes that can cause palpitations when they get low are potassium and magnesium.