Here's Exactly How Much Vitamin D is Safe, as Man Hospitalized With Intoxication — Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

A man in the UK was hospitalized after taking almost 400 times the daily recommended amount of vitamin D, highlighting once again the serious danger of taking unsafe doses of over-the-counter vitamins and supplements.

"Vitamin D toxicity, also called hypervitaminosis D, is a rare but potentially serious condition that occurs when you have excessive amounts of vitamin D in your body," says Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD.

"Vitamin D toxicity is usually caused by large doses of vitamin D supplements — not by diet or sun exposure.

"The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination," Zeratsky says.

"Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones.

Here is the official recommended daily amount of vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Vitamin D is not the only vitamin that can cause serious health issues if incorrectly dosed: Here are five other supplements that can make you sick if you don't follow the recommended daily amounts.

The good: "Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid (AA), is first and foremost an electron donor," says Bogdan Popa, MD.

"In people with a condition called hemochromatosis, which causes the body to store too much iron, high doses of vitamin C could worsen iron overload and damage body tissues.

Vitamin C dietary supplements might interact with cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The good: "Zinc is a trace mineral, meaning that the body only needs small amounts, and yet it is necessary for almost 100 enzymes to carry out vital chemical reactions," says Harvard Health.

The recommended daily amount of iron for adults is 8mg for men and 18 mg for women, which goes up to 27 mg for pregnant women.

The good: "Iron is an essential element for blood production," says UCSF Health.

The bad: "Although iron ingestion is no longer the leading cause of poisoning deaths, it is not uncommon and can be a potentially fatal toxicologic emergency," says University of Utah Health.

The toxicity of iron depends on the amount of elemental iron ingested, and elemental iron amounts vary between products… Patients who ingest 20-60 mg/kg of elemental iron may develop nausea and vomiting but are at a low-risk for severe toxicity, while > 60 mg/kg is associated with a high-risk for severe toxicity and death.".

The good: "​​For heart health, you may have heard a lot of talk about the benefits of fish oil supplements," says Penn Health.

"While studies have shown that fish oil supplements may provide some benefits to some people with some heart health issues, the real source of these cardiovascular health benefits is from a family of polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids.

The good: "Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9, water-soluble and naturally found in many foods," says Harvard Health

The bad: "Unfortunately, many prenatal supplements provide 800 mcg or more of folic acid — double the recommended amount from a supplement," says Dr

On top of this, many manufacturers put in extra folic acid (30% or more is not uncommon), so it's quite possible that your supplement which lists 800 mcg of folate from folic acid is giving you the equivalent of about 1,800 mcg of folate… Prolonged intake of excessive folic acid can cause kidney damage and can complicate the diagnosis of vitamin B-12 deficiency (folic acid supplementation can mask a symptom of vitamin B-12 deficiency)