An Ideal Quantity Of Vitamin D And Harmful Effect Of Its Excess

Dec, 2022 - By SMI

Toxic effects have been observed while consuming 60,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day for several months. This amount is several times greater than the RDA for most individuals, which is 600 IU of vitamin D per day.

Experts advise, don't take drugs without first being tested or consulting your doctor.

Hypervitaminosis is a vitamin D overload that causes toxicity. It also causes an abnormal buildup of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia), that can lead to renal stress and failure. Dr Rommel Tickoo, Director of Internal Medicine at Max Super Specialty Hospital Delhi, describes one such patient who presented with severe renal failure, disorientation, and confusion.

Confusion and chest pain "During our inquiries, we discovered he had been stocking up on vitamin D tablets." And draining out the toxic burden from his system took so long because he was on intravenous fluids and medicines, generally corticosteroids or bisphosphonates," he explains. "What many people don't realize is that deficits are generally rectified if exposed to sunlight or eat fortified meals." When these basic procedures are ineffective, supplementation is used. "These pose no risk since the body controls the amount of vitamin D generated by sun exposure, and even enriched flour do not contain substantial amounts of it," adds Dr Tickoo.

400 international units of vitamin D per day are suggested.

The daily recommended dosage of vitamin D for children under the age of 12 months is 400 international units (IU), 600 IU for persons aged 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for those over 70 years.

Calcium and Vitamin D consumption are both essential for good bone health. Sunlight exposure raises blood 25(OH)D levels and is suggested for all children and adolescents in India to avoid vitamin D insufficiency. According to IAP guidelines, an everyday exposure to sunlight of 17-30 minutes in newborns and 30-45 minutes in older children over 15-40% body surface area is advised at least 5 times in a week throughout midday and afternoon (between 11 am and 3 pm) to prevent vitamin D deficiency across different regions and seasons.