Vitamin supplements can provide real benefits, but they are often abused and the dangers are real

A new case report provides a striking example of what can happen if one takes too much vitamin D.

A middle-aged man was referred to the hospital by a general practitioner after experiencing vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, leg cramps, tinnitus, dry mouth, increased thirst, diarrhea, and weight loss. The patient was taking a cocktail of vitamin supplements, including vitamin D 150,000 IU—the daily requirement is 10 mcg or 400 IU.

Although the study documents an extreme case, Dr. Clifford J. Rosen, faculty scientist and director of the Center for Clinical & Translational Research at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, who was also not involved in the study, told MNT that exceeding the recommended amounts of vitamins can cause significant health problems.

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Dr. Rosen is among those unconvinced that the popular concern over vitamin D is fully warranted, calling vitamin D “a religion.”

“97.5% of people are vitamin D sufficient; there is no reason to supplement unless there is a medical need due to lack of sunlight or malabsorption,” he told MNT.

He also asserts, “There is no such thing as vitamin D insufficiency; severe vitamin D deficiency is the only category that counts, with levels less than 10 ng/ml [nanograms per milliliter].”

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here