Does Taking Too Much Vitamin D Cause a Rash?
Too Much of a Good Thing
It is possible to get sick from getting too much vitamin D, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is typically caused by taking high doses of vitamin D supplements, rather than eating too many vitamin D–rich foods like fatty fish and egg yolks or being outside in the sun for too long.
This condition isn’t life-threatening, but it can cause symptoms like frequent urination; nausea and vomiting; bone pain; kidney stones; and a skin rash, an itchy, red, and inflamed patch of skin.
While research published in 2024 suggests that vitamin D supplementation can improve atopic dermatitis — a skin condition characterized by dry, itchy skin — too much can also have the opposite effect.
“Those with either low vitamin D levels or high vitamin D levels may be susceptible to skin rash or skin irritations, although this is not a common occurrence,” says Lisa Diewald, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and associate director of the MacDonald Center for Nutrition Education and Research at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. “Like any medication or supplement, it is possible to experience an allergic reaction to vitamin D that could cause a mild allergic reaction such as a skin rash or hives.”
While a skin rash or hives can be caused by sun exposure or eating certain vitamin D-rich foods, it’s most likely caused by taking too many vitamin D supplements, Diewald says, especially if you’re also experiencing other symptoms of vitamin D toxicity.
“Sunlight provides some of the vitamin D that we need, and the absorption of vitamin D from the sun will slow down as we meet our needs, so there is a built-in mechanism for preventing excess vitamin D from sunlight,” she adds. But that’s not the case with supplements. “Consumers should be mindful that more is not always better when it comes to supplements.”
Source link
Share this article: