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Home arrow Health arrow Gut Health arrow Does Vitamin D Cause Constipation? Common Side Effects

Does Vitamin D Cause Constipation? Common Side Effects

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: July 18, 2023
6 min read 1655 Views 0 Comments
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Taking too much vitamin D can have some common side effects, but why does that happen?

Does Vitamin D cause constipation

Constipation can be frustrating and challenging to deal with. 

Those with irritable bowel syndrome often face horrible symptoms like stomach pain, digestive distress, and bloating. Certain foods and drinks might trigger chronic constipation that reacts to those ingredients. However, products containing vitamin D might create abdominal pain. 

Going over the recommended dosage could cause complications with your gut. You may develop hypercalcemia – a condition that signifies elevated blood levels. This may only occur if you have extremely high doses of vitamin D over a few weeks or months. 

In this article, you’ll discover if vitamin D causes constipation. 

Does Vitamin D Cause Constipation?

Yes, high doses of vitamin D can trigger constipation.

Having too much of something will always have side effects. It’s the same as consuming tonnes of fruit and vegetables. You’ll gain bloating, diarrhea, and heartburn symptoms. Excessive vitamin D intake can lead to digestive problems that make you very uncomfortable.

Hypercalcemia is a condition derived from too much vitamin D. This is when you have too much calcium in your blood. Excessive calcium levels will lead to fragile bones, kidney stones, and heart problems. Constipation is usually the first warning sign of this condition. 

The National Library of Medicine states that too much or too little vitamin D can cause chronic constipation. These symptoms usually comprise bloating, hard stools, and stomach pain. You need to find a balance between vitamin D and other healthy minerals. 

Let’s take a look at how much vitamin D you should take.

Optimal vitamin D dosage 

People usually take vitamin D supplements to support their health. Supplements can maintain blood calcium levels and prevent vitamin D deficiency. Speak to a doctor about the right vitamin dosage, as this can stop you from taking improperly labeled vitamin products.

You should have 15mcg of this nutrient if you’re over 18 years old. Adults who are over 71 usually need around 20mcg. Salmon, orange juice, sardines, soy milk, mushrooms, and tuna fish are good foods for your daily vitamin D intake. 

To relieve this constipation, you can take fiber supplements that help fight constipation and bloating. Their active ingredients will cleanse your gut and detoxify your body. 

Can You Overdose on Vitamin D?

It’s definitely possible to exceed your daily vitamin D intake. 

Your body can only take so much vitamin D from diets and through the skin. We’re designed to contain the right amount of minerals for our health. Anything that knocks the human body out of balance will create toxicity symptoms that severely affect your system.

For example, too much sun exposure could damage the inner layers of your skin and make you feel sick. Vitamin D usually triggers elevated calcium levels that eventually cause constipation. It’s important to maintain your vitamin D levels when going out in the sun. 

Also, be careful of how much fatty fish you eat, as this can weaken your immune system. You should never have too much vitamin D from meals. Consider keeping a food journal to track how much you eat and what nutrients you may be getting from those products.

Many people accidentally overdose on vitamin D supplements that contain high levels of the nutrient. This is why you should speak to a medical professional about vitamin D toxicity and how it creates potentially dangerous symptoms. 

Vitamin D Benefits

Of course, vitamin D also has many benefits for your bones, heart, immune system, and stomach. You want to maintain your blood calcium levels by consuming this important nutrient. Just remember to take a vitamin D supplement if you don’t eat many nutritious foods. 

Let’s take a look at the 4 benefits of vitamin D.

#1 Promotes healthy bones

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to fragile bones that increase the risk of osteoporosis. Your body needs calcium to keep the bones dense and strong. If you don’t produce adequate vitamins, your strength might slowly deteriorate over days or weeks. 

It might be worth taking vitamin D supplements to support your bones. Foods high in calcium and protein will also encourage your body to maintain vitamin D levels. Try to get just enough sun exposure to produce a good amount of this nutrient. 

#2 Hormone regulation

Vitamin D can help balance important hormones in your body. Vitamin D is actually a hormone that’s produced by the kidneys. It works to control the amount of calcium in your blood by absorbing minerals from foods and vitamins from the sun. 

The parathyroid hormone is able to detect vitamin D deficiency in the body. If you’re not producing enough calcium, the hormone contains more enzymes that actively create vitamin D. Your vitamin D levels are usually maintained by calcium, phosphate, and calcitriol.

#3 Boosts the immune system

Vitamin D supplements help support your immune system. It could benefit those who suffer from regular vitamin D deficiency or auto-immune disease. Vitamin D has also been known to treat patients with tuberculosis. 

Vitamin D supplements also reduce the risk of colds and flu. These should be taken on a regular basis if you want to feel stronger and healthier. Just make sure not to take too much vitamin D, as it could lead to problems like constipation and exhaustion. 

#4 Improved heart health

A good balance of vitamin D levels can help strengthen your heart. It may improve the lining of blood vessel walls that reduce the effects of inflammation. People with cardiovascular disease can benefit from vitamin D supplements that lower blood pressure. 

The vitamin can also limit the chance of having a stroke. It repairs damage to blood vessels caused by high blood pressure. Older people tend to consume more vitamin D to strengthen their most important organs. This is why elders usually need around 20mcg of it.

What Has Vitamin D?

There are plenty of foods that contain high levels of vitamin D and calcium. Salmon, egg yolks, spinach, mushrooms, canned tuna, and cod liver oil supplements have the right amount of nutrition for your body. Try to incorporate these products into your everyday diet. 

Drinks that have vitamin D are orange juice, cow milk, yogurt-based beverages, and soy milk. Some of these drinks can benefit meals like breakfast and snacks. Just simply combine your chosen milk with healthy cereal. This can prevent you from experiencing vitamin deficiency.

High-dose vitamin supplements can be good and bad. Taking too much may lead you to develop vitamin D toxicity. Supplements should offer a recommended dosage for people who don’t eat foods with high nutrients. Make sure to follow the dose that is right for your diet.

Vitamin D Side Effects

Taking too much vitamin D can have serious side effects that disrupt your health. Vitamin D can elevate your blood levels and make you experience nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. You should talk to a doctor if you have regular issues with high blood pressure. 

Excessively consuming vitamin D may also lead to increased calcium in your bloodstream. Too much calcium relates to hypercalcemia – a condition that promotes kidney failure, hallucinations, constipation, vomiting, dehydration, and heart abnormalities. 

Gastrointestinal symptoms can occur from excessive doses of vitamin D. There’s a case study about how a boy developed stomach pain from vitamin D supplements. This was due to intoxication that created nephrolithiasis.

A Word From RD

Vitamin D can definitely trigger constipation if you take too much of it. You should only follow the recommended amount of 15mcg daily, as this fuels your body with the right nutrients. Exceeding this will lead to uncomfortable symptoms that may require hospital treatment.

You can consume enough vitamin D in moderation to feel the positive effects. These physical changes would be a strong immune system, healthy bones, improved heart functions, and controlled hormones. Low vitamin levels would prevent these healthy changes from occurring.

Taking high-dose vitamin D supplements can also create several potentially dangerous symptoms. You might damage your bone metabolism or general immune function. Stick to taking supplements that have small amounts of vitamin D and calcium.

Converse with a healthcare professional about your current health issues, and they can recommend reliable supplements. If you suffer from constipation, they might offer small amounts of vitamin D that fuel your digestive gut. However, they might prefer other treatment options.

Conclusion

Vitamin D occurs naturally in our body, and that’s normal to support organs. Taking too much of this nutrient can lead to constipation symptoms. Avoid extremely large doses and consume more fiber-based foods that can promote healthy bowel movements.

You should also be wary of vitamin D insufficiency. Make sure to consume vitamin D through natural foods and sunlight to see the benefits. Strong bones and heart muscles are very important for maintaining your overall health. 

ColonBroom is a good supplement to take for constipation. You can take a quiz to see how this product will specifically help you and your healthy diet. It also tastes good, which is a bonus when taking supplements every day. 

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: July 18, 2023
6 min read 1655 Views 0 Comments
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