If you’re unsure whether or not you should take a vitamin D supplement, read this article to find out more about the supplement’s benefits and side effects. It’s important to know that the vitamin D you get from sunlight is only a small part of the amount of vitamin D supplements you need. However, if you’re not getting enough sun exposure, you should take a vitamin D supplement.
Health benefits
There are several health benefits of taking a vitamin D supplement. These benefits range from lowering the risk of depression to boosting the immune system. In addition, vitamin D may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. But further studies are needed before we can say for sure. In the meantime, it’s important to consult your doctor before taking a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D supports the immune system, improves T-cell production, and helps the body respond to viral infections. There’s also a possible link between vitamin D and cancer. Several studies have found that people exposed to high levels of sunlight have lower risks of developing certain types of cancer. This association is not proven yet, but it’s worth looking into. There are several other health benefits of vitamin D, but we won’t know the full picture until more studies are conducted.
Side effects
If you’re planning to take a vitamin D supplement, you should know the potential side effects before you begin. Although doctors generally consider blood levels of vitamin D between 20 and 50 nanograms per milliliter adequate, too much vitamin D may cause adverse side effects. Hypercalcemia, a condition where too much calcium is absorbed into the blood, is one possible side effect of over-supplementation with vitamin D. Researchers commonly cite a threshold of 10.4 mg of calcium per deciliter of blood as the limit for safe dosages of vitamin D.
The amount of vitamin D your body needs varies from person to person. Generally, a person’s body requires about 600 IU of vitamin D daily. However, a large dose can have negative effects, including kidney failure and depression. Some people also experience a side effect called vitamin D toxicity. Although vitamin D toxicity is rare, if you take more than 300,000 IU in 24 hours or ten thousand IU daily for months, there may be serious side effects.
Recommendations
A low vitamin D level is associated with low testosterone, and a daily vitamin D supplement may increase your levels. Vitamin D helps maintain healthy heart, prostate, and bone tissues and is vital for men. It is particularly important for overweight men. Recommended daily dosages for vitamin D range from 1,000 to 5,000 IU, depending on your health condition. In addition, your doctor will likely recommend a blood test to determine your levels. Fortunately, health insurance will cover the test cost.
Multiple guidelines have been published regarding the use of vitamin D in people with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The most recent recommendations emphasize the need to support the ERC while correcting vitamin D deficiency in the general population. Observational studies in people with CKD have linked vitamin D deficiency to mortality, insulin resistance, inflammation, and anemia. Therefore, these guidelines suggest using vitamin D supplements in this population to help prevent bone fractures.
