For decades, we have learned that vitamin D is important, especially during these cold and dark winter months when the sun sometimes doesn’t show for days. However, doctors are now urging people to stop taking vitamin D pills if they show one of these specific symptoms.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vitamin D, formerly known as calcitriol, is a “fat-soluble nutrient that has two main responsibilities: helping calcium reach your bones (which keeps them strong) and supporting your immune system so it can fight off infections.”
Around 35% of adults have a deficiency, but reports suggest it could be even more.
“Our bodies make vitamin D from exposure to sun,” dietitian Devon Peart explained. “It’s also naturally present in some foods, like salmon, and added to others, like milk. Depending on a few factors, like how sunny it is where you live, you might need a vitamin D supplement.”
It plays a key role in our bone health and helps our immune system stay strong.
“Vitamin D helps calcium get into your bones,” Peart further explained. “When your body has enough vitamin D, it’s better able to absorb calcium from your small intestine.”
Vitamin D toxicity – symptoms for when you should stop taking it as a supplement
It’s quite normal to use the supplement during the cold and dark winter months, as you barely see any sunlight. The Cleveland Clinic states that the “healthy daily requirements” of vitamin D are 600 international units (IU) for people ages 19 to 50 years, at least 600 UI for people 50 to 70 years, and at least 800 IU for people over 70 years.”
However, not everyone should take this supplement. If you have any of these symptoms, doctors warn against it. The Cleveland Clinic writes that if you take too much, it can lead to vitamin D toxicity.
Therefore, it’s crucial you stop taking it if you experience any of these symptoms.
- Frequent urination
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dehydration
- Constipation
- Bone pain
- Kidney stones
- Bone pain
Speaking to the Independent, Dr Kathryn Basford at Asda Online Doctor said on the UK advice: “Everyone in the UK can benefit from taking vitamin D during the darker months, as although you can get some vitamin D from what you eat, it’s difficult to get enough through diet alone. A lack of vitamin D can lead to tiredness, bone or muscle pain, and recurrent infections, among other things.”
“Taking more than the recommended amount of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K can cause them to build up in your body, leading to toxic effects,” she continued. “Toxicity is only a possibility when taking these vitamins as supplements, so getting these vitamins from the sun or your diet won’t lead to this problem.”
“Supplement backfiring”
Biomedical scientist Tobias Mapulanga told Unilad, “Nausea, persistent bAs the NHS encourages vitamin D in winter, many people are reaching for bottles in the darker months and accidentally overshooting, then blaming the fallout on seasonal bugs; when constant thirst and needing the loo more often, queasiness, tummy pain or constipation, headaches or brain fog, and new aches or cramps appear soon after increasing your intake or adding sprays or gummies, that points to a supplement backfiring.”
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