Too Much Vitamin D?

Too much Vitamin D could make bones weak, experts have warned.

16:56 30 November 2016

Four months ago, Public Health England has made an official recommendation urging members of the public to take in 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day for the protection of bone and muscle health. The advice was based on recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) that was tasked to review decades-old public guidance on Vitamin D. 

 

However, researchers are now challenging the official advice after their research has found that there was 'no consistent evidence that vitamin D supplementation improves musculoskeletal outcomes' if you're not in the at-risk groups such as older people and certain ethnic groups.

 

Meanwhile, other experts say that the official advice is causing some people to overdose on vitamin D, which could not only weaken the bones but can also cause a range of serious health problems. 

 

Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London and a consultant rheumatologist who runs an osteoporosis clinic at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, said: 'We are seeing an over-obsession with something that isn't a real disease,'

 

It seems that the confusion is caused by the fact that there is no international agreement on health guidelines concerning vitamin D. 

 

Levels of vitamin D in the blood are measured in nanomoles per litre. Current NHS guidelines say that anything under 15nmol/L is “severe deficiency” and a level of 15-30 is regarded as ‘deficiency’. Meanwhile 50-100 is “adequate” and 100-150 is regarded as “optimal”. 

 

According to the United States’ National Institutes of Health, a reading over 125 (which NHS says is optimal) is considered as being too high with ‘potential adverse side effects. 

 

Dr Natalie Carter, head of research liaison at Arthritis Research UK, says that clinicians “can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach when recommending supplementation to prevent vitamin D deficiency, as the amount needed will vary according to the patient’s age, gender, health status and location.’