| An increasing number of specialists are confident that | | | | Vitamin D hypersensitivity is rare but may cause |
| vitamin D side effects will not occur with intake less | | | | vitamin D side effects in the form of high blood |
| than 10,000 IU daily-except for people who are | | | | calcium or hypercalcaemia. Some diseases that may |
| hypersensitive because of certain medical conditions. | | | | cause this sensitivity include: |
| There is significant debate over optimal vitamin D | | | | - Hyperparathyroidism |
| dosage. But many experts now believe that there | | | | - Granulomatous diseases such as sarcoidosis, |
| are no vitamin D side effects with intakes of less | | | | granulomatous TB, oat cell carcinoma of the lung, and |
| than 10,000 daily. This is quite a change from | | | | non-Hodgkin's lymphoma |
| previous warnings that intake over 2,000 IU may be | | | | - Occult cancers which are of an unknown origin |
| toxic. Here is what authorities are now saying about | | | | People who are suffering from these diseases should |
| the safety of vitamin D supplements. | | | | seek a physician's advice before beginning a Vitamin |
| NATIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS FOUNDATION | | | | D supplement program. Indeed, regular vitamin D |
| The U.S. National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) | | | | blood tests are the best way for everyone to |
| warns that very high doses of vitamin D can cause | | | | monitor their vitamin D level and supplement needs. |
| kidney stones and other kidney problems- which may | | | | HOW MUCH VITAMIN D IS ENOUGH? |
| then lead to bone loss. But it acknowledges that it is | | | | Humans make at least 10,000 units of vitamin D |
| difficult to get too much vitamin D unless a person is | | | | within 30 minutes of full body exposure to the sun. |
| taking a prescription dose of the vitamin. | | | | Research also indicates that healthy humans use |
| VITAMIN D COUNCIL | | | | about 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day. |
| The Vitamin D Council argues that the skin produces | | | | Since vitamin D is stored in the body for about 60 |
| approximately 10,000 IU vitamin D in response to | | | | days and people north of latitude 42 (Boston, Rome |
| 20-30 minutes of exposure to the sun in the summer | | | | or Beijing) cannot get enough of the "sunshine |
| and that there is no research showing that intake | | | | vitamin" during the winter months...many health care |
| below this level is toxic. One of the foremost vitamin | | | | providers are less concerned about vitamin D side |
| D experts, Doctor R. Vieth, argues that toxicity | | | | effects than vitamin D deficiency. Recent studies |
| probably begins after long-term daily consumption of | | | | have shown that over 70% of North Americans are |
| approximately 40,000 IU/day. | | | | vitamin D deficient for at least part of the year. |
| VITAMIN D HYPERSENSITIVITY | | | | |