Vitamin D is important for your health. Normally, your body can absorb vitamin D through sunlight. The vitamin is produced by the body itself and is well tolerated by most people even with additional supplementation. But what if you suffer from an intolerance to vitamin D?

How does a vitamin D intolerance develop and what can be done about it?

You can read more about this below.

Can vitamin D tablets be harmful?

Vitamin D is basically very well tolerated by most people. But what if your body does react intolerantly to vitamin D? Taking vitamin D tablets can actually cause side effects. Usually, incorrect intake is to blame.

A permanent vitamin D overdose can harm your body. Therefore, always take the tablets only as prescribed by your doctor. Vitamin D should not be taken on your own initiative and only with a confirmed Vitamin D deficiency  to be taken.

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Also, be sure to use only preparations from the pharmacy. Many tablets contain additional ingredients besides vitamin D. Your body might then react not to the vitamin itself but to one of the additives in the tablet.

However, an overdose of vitamin D is difficult to achieve. You would have to take a large amount of vitamin D over several months for your body to suffer from an overdose. To notice side effects of an overdose, you would need to take more than 40,000 IU of vitamin D per day for several months.

And even then, your symptoms probably do not come from the vitamin D itself, but from the high vitamin D level in your blood.

Make sure you do not suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, but also do not overdose on the vitamin. Your doctor can determine your vitamin D level through a blood test.

What happens with a deficiency of the cofactors?

For your body to absorb vitamin D well, you must also take in vitamin K2 and magnesium. Only then can your body utilize and absorb vitamin D.

Cofactors are vitamins your body needs to absorb vitamin D. Especially vitamin K2 is important so that your body can utilize vitamin D. If you suffer from a K2 deficiency, calcium deposits can form in the tissue.

Calcium deposits can have serious consequences for your body. Kidney stones, calcification of blood vessels, and organ damage can result.

Magnesium is also important for the proper absorption of vitamin D. If you already suffer from a magnesium deficiency, additional vitamin D intake may worsen the symptoms of the existing deficiency. Your body needs magnesium to produce vitamin D and supply the cells accordingly.

If you have to take vitamin D in tablet form, discuss with your doctor whether you should also take vitamin K2.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D overdose?

If you are regularly in the sun, your body usually does not need an additional vitamin D supplement. Your body can absorb the vitamin itself through sunlight.

Additional intake can lead to an overdose if you are already sufficiently supplied. A vitamin D overdose is not to be taken lightly. The symptoms can vary widely, ranging from mild symptoms to coma.

Classic symptoms of an overdose are nausea and vomiting, but also diarrhea or loss of appetite. The symptoms of a vitamin D overdose are comparable to those of poisoning.

Many people also suffer from muscle or headaches. Muscle weakness and drowsiness are also common symptoms.

Are you experiencing increased thirst and frequent urination at the same time? Your symptoms may indicate a vitamin D overdose.

An overdose usually only occurs if you take vitamin D tablets over a period of several months.

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Can vitamin D cause side effects?

Vitamin D itself is usually free of any side effects. However, taking vitamin D can cause interactions with other vitamins.

For example, if you suffer from a vitamin K2 deficiency, your body cannot properly absorb vitamin D. This then leads to corresponding complaints. There is also a risk that the calcium you take in along with vitamin D will deposit in your organs and blood vessels. This can lead to various heart and circulatory diseases.

A stroke can also be triggered by taking vitamin D when there is an existing K2 deficiency.

Vitamin K2 is an activator for a specific protein that is absorbed and transported by calcium. If vitamin D is taken without K2, your body cannot utilize the calcium, and deposits can form in the tissue. Experts refer to this as harmful plaque that accumulates in your body.

Did you know that many lifeguards and beach guards suffer from kidney stones? This is indeed due to the high vitamin D intake. Because this occupational group is more exposed to the sun, their bodies automatically produce an excess of vitamin D. However, this leads to a K2 deficiency in return.

A vitamin K2 deficiency caused by excessive sun exposure develops over several months.

Many manufacturers therefore offer combination preparations to specifically prevent a deficiency. The tablets contain a balanced ratio of vitamin K2 and vitamin D. However, make sure that the vitamin K2 is labeled as 100% all-trans vitamin.

How does vitamin D work in the case of a magnesium deficiency?

A magnesium deficiency can become very unpleasant, especially when taking vitamin D tablets. Therefore, be sure to talk to your doctor before taking vitamin D. It is important that they determine your vitamin levels to specifically prevent side effects.

At the beginning of vitamin D therapy, it is usually taken in very high doses. Therefore, it is all the more important to rule out magnesium deficiency before starting therapy. Because of the intake of high-dose vitamin D, your body initially requires even more magnesium. Taking vitamin D can therefore even worsen the symptoms of a magnesium deficiency.

If you suffer from muscle cramps, muscle twitching, or severe exhaustion, you may have a magnesium deficiency. Headaches, as well as cold feet and heart palpitations, are also typical symptoms of magnesium deficiency.

Can babies absorb vitamin D?

Children can also already suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Many pediatricians then prescribe appropriate vitamin D supplements. However, if children need to take vitamin D, precise dosing must be strictly observed. Children are more prone to overdosing than adults.

When selecting the preparation, it is also important to ensure that no additives are included. Especially with combination preparations, side effects often occur due to the additives. Children suffer the most from side effects when the preparation contains fluoride.

The symptoms of side effects should not be underestimated. Children often suffer from headaches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. The fluoride in the tablet is responsible for these symptoms. Fluoride is known to cause symptoms of poisoning.

In addition to fluoride, lactose is often also contained in the tablets. Lactose can especially trigger strong symptoms in cases of lactose intolerance. Most babies can only poorly digest lactose because their bodies have not yet developed the enzyme lactase needed for this. Usually, the child then suffers from symptoms such as stomach pain and vomiting. Lactose can also cause severe abdominal colic in babies.

How can side effects be avoided when taking vitamin D?

Most of the time, vitamin D itself is not responsible for the side effects. Most symptoms arise from intolerances to other additives contained in combination supplements.

When taking vitamin D, make sure you supply your body sufficiently with the co-factors. These are vitamin K2 and magnesium. If you pay attention to these factors, you will not have any side effects when taking vitamin D.

Do not take vitamin D for a long period. Otherwise, you could suffer from an overdose. A vitamin D overdose causes corresponding symptoms and must therefore be strictly avoided.

Many people suffer from a K2 deficiency without knowing it. It is therefore very sensible to take K2 as a supplement if you either spend a lot of time in the sun or take vitamin D in tablet form.

If you have just started taking vitamin D, you should definitely also take magnesium as a supplement. At the beginning, your body needs a lot of magnesium to properly absorb the vitamin D.

How does vitamin D work in the body?

Vitamin D is important for many functions in your body. It is especially responsible for the health of your bones.

Scientists still disagree on how much vitamin D the body actually needs. Accordingly, they are also divided on how much vitamin D should be taken as a supplement. Vitamin D is the only vitamin your body can produce itself. All it needs for this is sunlight.

However, vitamin D has been proven to be effective against respiratory infections. It can also be used preventively. In old age, it can help make bones more stable in the event of a fall and reduce the risk of fractures. The vitamin also helps actively prevent loss of strength in old age.