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This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Vitamin D. Products and services. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Vitamin D: Fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements. Accessed Dec. Vitamin D: Fact sheet for consumers. If possible, it's better to get your vitamin D from food sources rather than supplements see "Selected food sources of vitamin D.
The FDA has made it easier for you to see how much you're getting, thanks to new nutrition labels that list the vitamin D content of foods. Let your doctor know. Discuss supplement use with your doctor to ensure that the amount you're taking is appropriate for your needs. If you have a well-balanced diet, which regularly includes good sources of vitamin D, you may not need a supplement at all.
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How to get your child to put away toys. There are also treatment options where people with vitamin D deficiency receive 50, IU weekly or monthly instead of taking a daily dose. Many foods in the U. Breakfast cereals, milk, and orange juice often contain added vitamin D. The nutrition label should make it clear when this is the case. Breast-fed babies and young children will often need a vitamin D supplement. This is because breast milk does not give a baby all of the vitamin D that they need.
Vitamin D drops are available over-the-counter OTC. Babies and young children who have formula, which contains added vitamin D, should not need supplements. However, at higher doses, vitamin D2 is less potent. Too much vitamin D can be harmful.
It is not possible for the body to make too much vitamin D from sun exposure. Having too much in the body usually results from taking supplements. However, it is very rare and usually only occurs when people take a very high dose for an extended period, such as more than a year. The maximum quantity of vitamin D that a person can take before it causes health problems is 4, IU daily. Symptoms of having too much vitamin D in the blood include:. Taking too much vitamin D can raise the level of calcium in the blood.
This can cause health problems such as mental confusion and heart problems. People who are taking specific medication should not take a vitamin D supplement. This is because it can interact with these medicines and stop them from working. Examples include some corticosteroids, weight-loss drugs, and medication for epilepsy.
If a person is concerned that they may have a vitamin D deficiency, a doctor can arrange for a blood test to measure their vitamin D levels. Many people get enough vitamin D from sunlight and fortified foods. Vitamin D is important because it helps your body sustain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus. Because it works as a key that allows your body to absorb calcium, vitamin D plays a critical role in forming and maintaining healthy bones.
It also helps keep your muscles, nerves and immune system healthy. Research suggests that consistently getting enough vitamin D can significantly lower the risk for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
Low vitamin D also is associated with falls, multiple sclerosis , rheumatoid arthritis , chronic pain, diabetes , high blood pressure , cardiovascular disease and some cancers. However, an association does not mean low vitamin D causes these conditions, or that taking a vitamin D supplement will adequately prevent or treat them. Vitamin D is found in some foods, such as egg yolks, cheese, cod liver oil, beef liver and fatty fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
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