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.
While it is possible to take enough vitamin D once a week to keep yourself balanced, the best results were found to be a lower dose (1,000-2,000 IUs or 25-50 mcg ) taken daily. Taking vitamin D consistently with a meal containing healthy fats will ensure that your body absorbs it properly.
“Vitamin D can have a positive impact,” says Dr. Deal. “If you're healthy and aren't getting treatment for any medical problems, you don't have to worry about starting supplements. But if you are now taking supplements, be sure to get your vitamin D levels checked before stopping.”
Most recently, the large-scale VITAL trial, conducted with 25,871 adults, including 5,106 black participants, suggested the supplement failed to prevent major cardiovascular events and the development of invasive cancers over 5 years. The harshest critics contend the supplement is worthless.
Medics have said the vitamin, which people pick up in the sun, is harmful to those who take in too much of it. They say hypervitaminosis D, a condition caused by too much of it, is on the rise and linked to a wide range of often serious health issues.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, and mood changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While many factors can influence those symptoms, if you haven't changed your lifestyle recently, such conditions may be signs of vitamin D deficiency.
More and more research shows that vitamin D reduces inflammation, regulates many cellular processes and metabolism and promotes immunity.
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.
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. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare.
tl;dr. 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.
Most people don't experience side effects with vitamin D, unless too much is taken. Some side effects of taking too much vitamin D include weakness, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, and others.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, a good few of us could benefit from taking a vitamin D supplement the whole year-round. A governmental report found that around 25% of adults and teenagers in the UK have low levels of vitamin D, putting them at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
“If the blood levels go very high on Vitamin D beyond the recommended range, very many problems like bone issues, kidney stone, kidney failure, muscles could become even weaker than before, there could also be heart problems. One should best avoid getting into such a situation,” adds Dr Doshi.
Because vitamin D toxicity can cause side effects like rapid heartbeat, confusion, restlessness and chest pains, it can potentially cause feelings associated with anxiety.
There are quite a few differences between vitamin D and vitamin D3, but the main difference between them is that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates calcium and phosphorous levels in the body, whereas the vitamin D3 is the natural form of vitamin D produced by the body from sunlight.
Vitamin D can indeed cause hair loss, but it's rare. Although the precise role of vitamin D in hair growth isn't well understood, research shows that vitamin D receptors play an important role in the anagen phase of the hair follicle cycle — the phase in which new hairs grow from the follicle to their full length.
However, vitamin D then needs to be converted to its active form (calcitriol, also called 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol or 25(OH)D). After taking a high dose of vitamin D3, a study showed it can take approximately seven days for it to convert and cause a peak in 25(OH)D levels, the form tested by your doctor.
Taken in appropriate doses, vitamin D is generally considered safe. 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.
According to the National Library of Medicine, vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases.
It can be difficult to achieve the required amount of vitamin D from natural food sources and sun exposure alone. Therefore, people may require vitamin D supplements to meet their needs. However, one must not take any supplements without consulting the doctor as it can result in toxicity.
It's recommended that everyone take a supplement containing 10 micrograms (10 μg, equivalent to 400 IU) of vitamin D daily in autumn and winter. More than this is not necessary, and is likely to be more expensive, but you can safely take up to 25 micrograms if that's the size you can find.
Most people do not need prescription vitamin D; in most cases, it is prescribed for patients with certain health conditions such as chronic kidney or liver disease. If your doctor recommends taking vitamin D supplements, you can still request a prescription even if it's OTC-strength.