Anytime I talk about vitamin D, I always urge readers and patients to buy from our office. There are several reasons why, and this article illustrates one reason perfectly.
First is cost. Do not ever buy encapsulated vitamin D. It is much, much more expensive than the liquid forms. In addition, the liquid forms can be taken on a weekly basis, making convenience another plus. As I’ve mentioned, our vitamin D at 2,000 IU / day will last for a year at a cost of $20. Kind of a no-brainer.
But here’s the plus…
Quality of the companies we use are very high. So, not only is it very inexpensive, but the quality is superb. As far as quality control, many companies are lacking in this regard, as this particular study clearly illustrates.
One of the jobs of vitamin D is to help our bodies absorb calcium from our gut. Because of this, vitamin D toxicity from too much vitamin D can lead to a potentially life threatening condition called hypercalcemia–too much calcium in the bloodstream. This begins to effect the way our muscles and our heart contracts. Luckily, this condition is almost impossible to reach with normal levels of supplementation and so it is rare. While these cases usually end up in the hospital, they almost always resolve without any long term consequences (other than the bill…).
However, this is not the first case report I have come across that found vitamin D toxicity occurring due to mislabeling / quality control issues with the supplement. While the details are not included, these 2 patients were taking 1,000 times the RDA (400,000 IU). As a single dose, this would not, by itself, cause a problem. But these levels taken over the course of weeks or months can drive up vitamin D levels in the bloodstream to toxic heights.
So, while I believe that vitamin D supplementation is essential in today’s day and age, I strongly urge you to buy only from a reputable source.