Can Vitamin D be toxic if you take to much?

How much Vitamin D supplement should I take?

• I just got a message from my doctor explaining that my vitamin D levels are extrmemly low. They are level 26...I am a 29 year old female. Unfortunately I deleted the message and can't call the office back right now for the recommended amount of supplement to take because it after hours. How much Vitamin D supplement should I take to bring my levels up?

• Answer:

  Research published by Grassroots Health from the D*Action study shows the average adult needs to take 8,000 IU's of vitamin D per day in order to elevate their levels above 40ng/ml, which they believe is the absolute minimum for disease prevention. Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin at all but a necessary hormone that effects the immune system, bones & nearly every aspect of health. Having low Vitamin D levels greatly increases risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, MS & being deficient can create or greatly exacerbate health problems. Many researchers claim that optimized vitamin D levels are more effective than a flu shot in preventing viral infections. With Vitamin D3 deficiency becoming an epidemic, it is possible that upper atmosphere pollution is blocking the needed UVB light from the sun. Or simply that people are washing daily, if you wash skin exposed to the sun within 48 hours, you wash off the oils where the vitamin D production starts. In northern latitudes (above that of Atlanta, Georgia) the sun is at too low an angle for half the year to provide sufficient UV radiation. If even available, UVB rays are only accessible while the sun is directly overhead. Most people need to take vitamin D, especially seniors, as the ability to synthesize vitamin D in the skin declines with age. With exposure to sunlight in the summer, the body can generate up to 20,000iu of vitamin D per hour with no ill effects. In addition, no adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily. Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400676/More-Vitamin-D.html The vitamin D in fortified foods & the prescription vitamin D supplements are the wrong type (ergocalciferol - vitamin D2). As warned by the National Institute of Health - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023693 Luckily you can buy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) over the counter and the upper limits are extremely high. U.S. RDA are much too low. Current recommendations from researchers are for 35iu per pound - a 150# person needs minimum of 5250iu per day & the rda is 400iu. This amount is for minimal needs and does not replenish depleted stores. I also highly recommend a low carb way of eating for optimal health. Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the wide set of disorders associated with metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), as well as to PCOS. In a study published in 2004, the authors saw a 60% improvement in insulin sensitivity in healthy, vitamin D replete adults http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx Dr. Joe Prendergast, an endocrinologist /diabetologist has managed over 1500 diabetic patients and, in the last decade, not one of his patients has had a stroke or heart attack. Only one has even been hospitalized! His secret—50,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily. Dr. Joe further reports: * Reversal of advanced coronary disease * Reversal of advanced lung disease * Cure of multiple sclerosis * Cure of amotrophic lateral sclerosis * Regression of rheumatoid arthritis * Improvement in allergies * Control of many cancers * Reversal of osteoporosis * Prevention of influenza * Cure of depression & other mental disorders * Hashimoto’s hyperthyroidism In summary, the evidence for safety and remarkable efficacy of Vitamin D3 suggests that virtually ALL adults should probably take 50,000 units of D3 daily. This is certainly true for those with virtually any illness. http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com/2008/05/vitamin-dthe-cure-for-many-diseases.html