Vitamin D overdose is a growing danger, experts say

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/health/vitamin-d-toxicity-wellness/index.html

by smn1234 • 4 years ago

9 2 4 years ago

bbitmaster• 4 years ago

Most people don't get enough vitamin D. It's probably good advice for everyone to take a little. Above average vitamin D levels have been shown to correlate strongly with many beneficial things, including covid resistance. Low levels correlate strongly with many negative health problems. Correlation does not imply causation, but after seeing some data and studies, I think I'd prefer to be on the above average side.

I personally have a theory that our skin color evolved to reflect optimal vitamin D absorption. People living in tropical areas where they get more sun have darker skin, which blocks vitamin D but protects from the harmful affects of the sun, where lighter skin has the opposite trade off. If getting enough vitamin D was important enough to literally affect natural selection to change our skin color, it must be very important.

I also learned that furry animals like cats obviously can't absorb it through their skin since it is blocked by fur, but when they lick their fur grooming after sun bathing, they consume it orally from the oils in their fur.

Of course too much of anything is bad, 150,000 IU per day is an insane amount, that would literally be 150 pills of the 1,000 iu variety, which I personally take maybe 1 a day if I don't forget (as I was advised by a doctor).

What does CNN mean by this being a "cautionary tale for people who are considering adding supplements to their lives". Why don't we just encourage people to take some but not too much, and not treat people like they're too dumb to figure it out. To be fair, the article does point out that a daily dose is recommended for most people.

nikolay• 4 years ago

From an online source: "If sun exposure produces slight pinkness, the amount of vitamin D produced in response to exposure of the full body is equivalent to ingesting 10,000-25,000 IU."

So, getting more than 10,000 IU a day on a regular basis is crazy! But if you're severely deficient, you can take large initial doses.

Vitamin D overdose is a growing danger, experts say

Related Stories