It's possible to take too much vitamin D

DALLAS, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Recent reports of medical studies about vitamin D deficiency may be causing some people to take too much of the vitamin, U.S. researchers said.

Dr. Boyd Lyles of U.S. Preventive Medicine, an organization specializing in disease prevention, said that although studies show that both men and women who have lower blood levels of vitamin D also have a corresponding higher mortality rate, more vitamin D isn't necessarily better.

Other studies show significant toxicity in people who have consumed 2,000 International Units of vitamin D daily, in part because vitamin D is fat soluble and tends to accumulate in the body when taken in excess.

"When visiting your physician, ask about your personal risk for vitamin D deficiency and how much sun or supplements you should be getting," Lyles said in a statement. "Even though guidelines exist for vitamin D supplementation, the dose should be personalized and the best person to consult is your doctor."

The U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences are: 200 IU for those under age 50; 400 IU for those ages 50 to 70; and 600 IU for people age 70 and older. Increased dosages are recommended as a person ages due to the skin's declining ability to absorb the sun's radiation.