How Excessive Vitamin D Intake Can Affect Your Kidneys

Dr. Novinath M., a physician from the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology, said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, taking vitamin D supplements has become a craze. This habit has increased the risk to kidneys. Most people suffer damage not only to their kidneys but also to other organs of the body.
 

Doctors explain that vitamin D forces the kidneys to filter excessive amounts of calcium. Over time, calcium starts to accumulate in the kidney tissues, which later turns into stones. In medical terms, this is called ‘nephrocalcinosis.’ They also mention that when vitamin D levels in the blood rise too high, the filtering parts of the kidney can become damaged. In some cases, the kidney may even stop functioning entirely.
 

Excess vitamin D can cause symptoms such as frequent urge to urinate, constant nausea, increased thirst, muscle weakness, lower back pain, swollen legs, and fatigue.
 

Let’s understand how much vitamin D your body actually needs:
 

For proper physiological function, the human body requires a daily amount of about 400 to 1000 IU of vitamin D. However, if a person takes between 8000 to 12000 IU of vitamin D supplements month after month, the risk of harm is high.
 

To maintain healthy bones and teeth or to boost immunity, doctors generally recommend 60,000 IU of vitamin D but this does not need to be taken daily. Taking it once a week is usually sufficient.