How much Vitamin D is ideal for daily usage?

BOSTON – Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your latest health questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter).

Jack in Lexington writes, "Maybe you can clarify the Vitamin D debate as to the ideal daily dosage. Some warn that taking too much can lead to toxicity. What is the best dosage and should it be Vitamin D3?"

How much supplemental Vitamin D you should take, if any, depends on your age, whether you're pregnant or lactating, your underlying health, how much sun exposure you get, and how much you consume in your diet. 

That's why it's important to ask your doctor whether you need to take it and if so how much. Most people who supplement take between 800 IU and 2,000 IU a day through either a multivitamin, Vitamin D capsule or a combination of both. 

Vitamin D3 is preferred because it absorbs better than D2. 

And yes, taking too much, like more than 4,000 IU a day, can cause problems such as nausea, weight loss, constipation, confusion, and kidney stones.

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.  

In:
• Vitamin D

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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