Does Vitamin D Accumulate in Your System?

You can't overdose on vitamin D made from sunlight.

You can't overdose on vitamin D made from sunlight.

All fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the fatty tissues of your body if you get more than you need, unlike water-soluble vitamins, which wash out in urine. Excess vitamin D accumulates in the fat and liver, providing you with a vitamin D source to draw on if your stores run low. However, too much vitamin D in the form of dietary supplements could cause health problems over time. You can't overdose on vitamin D synthesized in the body from direct sunlight.

Ways to Get Vitamin D

You can get vitamin D in three ways: by eating foods that contain it, by taking supplements or by spending time in the sun. Few foods contain vitamin D; fatty fish such as salmon, liver, egg yolk and fortified foods such as milk and orange juice help you meet your daily needs. Unless you overdose on cod liver oil, eating foods containing vitamin D won't raise your vitamin D levels too high. You also can't get too much vitamin D by spending time in the sun, since other substances your body produces will prevent overproduction. If you take high supplemental doses of vitamin D over time you can overdose, since vitamin D builds up in your body.

Storage Benefits

Since vitamin D plays a role in in your body, getting enough is essential. Storing vitamin D in fat and your liver can supply your needs through the winter months if you don't get enough vitamin D in your diet. Spending enough time in the sun in the spring, summer and fall can fill your vitamin D stores to last through the winter. As little as five minutes per day of sunlight on exposed skin between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. might be enough if you burn easily. If you tan well or have a darker skin tone, you might need more time -- up to 20 minutes, according to DermNet NZ.

Storage Risks

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, a necessary substance for heart and nerve function as well as for healthy bones. When you store excess vitamin D, you could absorb too much calcium. High calcium levels in your blood, a condition called hypercalcemia, can cause nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, weakness, weight loss, increased urination or kidney problems. Calcium deposits can build up in the heart and other organs if serum calcium levels rise too high, damaging the heart, kidneys or blood vessels. You could develop an irregular heartbeat or mental changes such as confusion.

Recommended Doses

To meet recommended vitamin D intakes, adults and children need 600 international units per day. After age 70, men and women need 800 IU per day. Infants need 400 IU per day, a need met in bottle-fed babies' infant formulas. Breastfed babies might need vitamin D supplements after age 6 months unless they spend time in the sun. Very high doses of 50,000 IU per day for several months can lead to hypercalcemia, according to registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic.

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