NHS warning as man ‘overdoses’ on vitamin D during health kick

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. According to BMJ: “He had been taking high doses of more than 20 over the counter supplements every day containing: vitamin D 150000 IU—the daily requirement is 10 mcg or 400 IU.” The man was on a health kick after visiting a private nutritionist The NHS says: “Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body. This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart.” The man’s hospital admission came four months after he began taking the supplements, which included omega 3, magnesium, and vitamin C. In that time he has lost nearly two stone, but was suffering from leg cramps, stomach ache, vomiting, nausea, and tinnitus. NHS doctor Dr Alamin Alkundi, who looked at the man’s case, said that cases of “hypervitaminosis D” were rising around the world. He added: “This case report further highlights the potential toxicity of supplements that are largely considered safe until taken in unsafe amounts or in unsafe combinations.” The man’s vitamin D levels will still be abnormally high two months after leaving hospital, as the supplement can take “several weeks” to leave the body.