Doctor's warning as taking common winter vitamin could cause serious health issue

A doctor has issued a warning as a popular supplement taken in the winter could cause some health problems. The expert explained that taking too much of this vitamin could be damaging to your bones.

Many people rely on supplements to ensure they get all the vitamins and minerals they need on a daily basis. While you should be able to get all you need from a healthy, balanced diet, sometimes a supplement is needed to make sure you’re not missing anything.

This is the case with vitamin D, which we get through exposure to sunlight. Therefore, the NHS recommends you take it as a supplement through the autumn and winter months as sunlight is reduced.

This vitamin helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Therefore, a lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

However, as is the case with any supplement, it does come with some caveats. In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, Doctor Suraj Kukadia warned that you must not take a “high dose” of vitamin D.

Dr Kukadia, who is better known as Dr Sooj, said: “Taking a really high dose of vitamin D for a prolonged period of time can make your bones more brittle.” His warning is supported by advice from the NHS.

On its website, the health body says: “Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body (hypercalcaemia). This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart.”

The recommended dose of vitamin D is 10 micrograms (mcg) - or 40 IU. If you take more than 100mcg a day, this could be “harmful”.

The NHS continues: “If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people. Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful.

“This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17 years.” Children aged one to 10 years should not have more than 50 micrograms (2,000 IU) a day.

Infants under 12 months should not have more than 25 micrograms (1,000 IU) a day. On top of this, some people have medical conditions that mean they may not be able to safely take as much.

“If in doubt, you should consult your doctor,” the NHS adds. “If your doctor has recommended you take a different amount of vitamin D, you should follow their advice.”

It is not possible to overdose on vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. But you should always cover up or protect your skin if you're out in the sun for long periods to reduce the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.

Certain foods are also good sources of vitamin D. These include:

• Oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, trout, herring or mackerel
• Red meat
• Egg yolks
• Fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals
• Liver (avoid liver if you're pregnant – find out about foods to avoid in pregnancy)