Tripling Recommended Amount of Vitamin D: January 2024 Study

Can you really get too much vitamin D?

A 2024 study suggests the current recommended daily dose of 600 to 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D is nowhere near enough to prevent and address vitamin D deficiency in the general adult population.

Instead, a European research team suggests boosting the recommended daily amount to 2,000 IU to combat the risk of certain musculoskeletal diseases, such as rickets or osteomalacia (softening of the bones), or extraskeletal issues such as cancer.

The new recommended daily dose of vitamin D seeks to get a person to a base serum concentration level between at least 50 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) and 75 nmol/L. The study reports that up to 18 percent of people globally fall below 25 nmol/L, and up to nearly half the world’s population falls below 50 nmol/L. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency; in the United States, about 35 percent of the population is deficient.

Common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include muscle weakness, bone pain, and joint deformities. In adults, deficiency can cause fatigue, muscle aches or cramps, and mood changes, such as depression. A person may also be vitamin D deficient without any apparent symptoms.

More Studies Find Current Recommendation Falls Short

While scientists have known for years the benefits of vitamin D and the risks associated with not having enough, there have been gaps in the knowledge base regarding how much vitamin D is enough to prevent a deficiency in humans.

Much of past research has indicated that too much vitamin D in the body can lead to hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia occurs when the calcium level in the bloodstream is too high, causing issues such as weak bones and kidney stones and affecting heart and brain function.

Yet, as the new study points out, issues such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation, obesity, and other illnesses can hamper vitamin D absorption, suggesting a patient could need a higher dose to meet their minimum baseline. If the current daily recommended amount is strictly adhered to, the study says, patients risk developing conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or rickets.

“Clinicians who strictly adhere to nutritional vitamin D guidelines may thus not sufficiently treat their patients with vitamin D supplements when always adhering to conservative dosing regimens not exceeding 800 IU (20 micrograms) of vitamin D per day,” the research team wrote.

The team suggests treating vitamin D deficiency with a supplemental dose of either 2,000 IU as a “one-size-fits-all dose” or creating a tailored dosage “according to the patient’s needs and characteristics as a means of personalized treatment with a dosing range from 800 to 2000 IU.

“Such an approach may also better meet the preferences of physicians,” they added. “In our own experience, many clinicians have argued that conservative doses of 800 IU per day were sufficient to achieve target levels (of serum vitamin D), and they have thus occasionally proceeded with much higher and potentially harmful doses” of at least 4,000 IU.

More research is coming out that supports higher doses closer to 2,000 IU. In two notable trials involving 25,871 older American men and women, the research team said, participants were instructed to take 2,000 IU of vitamin D for up to five years; no signs of toxicity were reported during the trial.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which, in turn, helps build strong bones. Vitamin D also plays a role in the body’s nervous, muscle, and immune systems. Humans typically get vitamin D through the skin, food, and supplements. The body naturally creates the vitamin through sun exposure. Other sources of vitamin D include fish, cheese, mushrooms, egg yolks, and some fortified foods such as milk and breakfast cereals.

Reposted from: https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/new-study-suggests-tripling-recommended-amount-of-vitamin-d-5578731