Too Much Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is critically important. That is why it has become so popular.

But it is important to know that getting too much Vitamin D can be a problem.

Vitamin D is actually a hormone. It is considered a ‘vitamin’ because we need to get it from outside our body in order to have enough.

Vitamin D is needed for:

• Absorption of calcium in the gut
• Mood
• Immune function
• Prevention of leaky gut

Vitamin D comes from exposure of unprotected skin to sun that is high in the sky. About halfway to pink is when Vitamin D manufacture revs up in response to sun exposure. So, consider leaving off the sunscreen until you are going to be exposed beyond your tolerance.

Food sources of Vitamin D are somewhat few. Salmon and sardines top the list. Good egg yolks, tuna (avoid albacore due to high mercury) and fortified foods like cow milk, soy milk and orange juice.

Too much Vitamin D can:

• Use up your magnesium since magnesium is needed for D’s final conversion to usable form
• Throw off the balance with Vitamin A which should actually be in higher amount. Vitamin A is critical for immune function, skin and eye health.

What some think of as Vitamin D toxicity, achy or crampy muscles, and constipation, is likely magnesium depletion that began when Vitamin D supplementation was started. It can be helpful to get up to speed on magnesium first, then begin Vitamin D supplementation when needed.

Remember, with erosion of topsoil and depletion of minerals in soil, most of us are low in magnesium anyway, even with a healthy diet, robust digestion, and a healthy gut lining to absorb it.

With all this in mind, many of us won’t need supplemental D during warmer months at all, or maybe just a very low amount. Most of us in Colorado/Wyoming probably will need some supplementation during cooler months when the sun is lower in the sky. It is worth checking your blood level a couple of times a year to help pinpoint a good regimen for you.

It is important to have enough Vitamin D, but not too much!