Nutrition

Take Vitamin D in Moderation

By all accounts, Vitamin D is something everyone can use a little more of. But like everything else, moderation is the key

By Art Hister /

Supplements, such as vitamin D, shouldn’t be taken in excess

Like most things in life, vitamin D is a healthy supplement, as long as it’s taken in moderation

I unvaryingly preach that moderation is always better than over-indulgence, and not just as a helpful lid on one’s weight, although that’s one of the main inducements.

It’s also true, I think, for every other aspect of health: Far too often, too much of a good thing — a food, beverage, health regimen, some improvement in lifestyle — turns out to be a bad thing.

That message is a hard sell, however, because so many people (even many doctors, alas) prefer to believe that if a little bit of something is good, more must be even better.

Vitamin D Supplements

Take, for example, vitamin D, which some of us likely need more of. But there is still a ton of uncertainty about who that may be, what blood level of vitamin D is best, and most importantly, what form of vitamin D is best. That’s why I’m still a pretty lonely voice in decrying the practice of simply taking regular oral vitamin D supplements as “prevention” (except perhaps for osteoporosis).

Lots of “experts” will tell you there’s no evidence that too much vitamin D is unhealthy. So, a study published in The American Journal of Medicine may shake you a bit because it concluded, “most healthy people are unlikely to find supplementation (with vitamin D) prevents cardiovascular disease or extends their lives.”

And according to Science News, this group has also shown that “an increase in vitamin D (beyond a certain happy level) was associated with an increase in a factor linked to . . . (a higher) risk of cardiovascular problems,” as well as data showing “a link between excess vitamin D and . . . another (potential) danger sign for cardiovascular disease.”

In other words, maybe for some people, too much vitamin D may harm their hearts — we just don’t know yet.

Dr. Art Hister is a medical writer and health analyst for Global TV.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.