As shown in a report in BMJ Case Reports, a British man’s vitamin D excess serves as a warning story for others who are contemplating supplementing their diets.
Following a consultation with a personal nutritionist, the guy started consuming over 20 over-the-counter multivitamins daily, including 50,000 IU of vitamin D 3 times per day. Orders of magnitude larger than the typical dietary allowance, this is a dangerously excessive dosage.
It didn’t take long for the guy to start experiencing symptoms including diarrhea, cramps in the limbs and buzzing in the ears, in addition to nausea, stomach discomfort and diarrhea.
The unidentified individual learned about the pills on a radio discussion program and then called the dietitian who was on the broadcast. The term “nutritionist” is not regulated in the United Kingdom, therefore anyone may operate as a nutritionist.
Because they are fat-soluble and cannot be excreted by the system similar to water-soluble vitamin supplements, vitamin supplements D, A, E, and K are kept in the body’s liver as well as fat stores until required. Toxic amounts may be reached by ingesting far more than the daily suggested dosage.
The individual in the case analysis was getting 375 times the advised daily allowance of 150,000 IU for vitamin D. As soon as he started experiencing problems, he quit taking the vitamins. In 2 months, he’d dropped 28 lbs (12.7 kilograms) and the kidneys were already in difficulty when he was sent to the hospital for treatment. He had a disease known as hypervitaminosis D, in which he had ingested too much vitamin D.
According to a 2017 research, 3 percent of Americans take upwards of 4,000 IU per day, which is the highest limit of tolerability for adults. Well over a fifth of those polled reported taking over than 1,000 IU a day.
Eight days of treatment with medications to decrease calcium concentrations in the blood were necessary for the man’s recovery. Eight weeks later, his calcium levels had reduced to a near-normal level, according to a follow-up. Though his vitamin D concentration had gone down substantially, it remained high.
