Geographic Tongue is an annoying condition where the tongue develops “Bald” patches often surrounded with a thin white line. It is not considered serious or life threatening by doctors. These patches are called “denuded” meaning that the “papillae” or little bumps on the tongue have actually fallen off. Fortunately the papillae tend to replace themselves in 7 to 10 days.

If you have Geographic Tongue and watch it carefully, as I have, you will notice that the replacement process is what gives the tongue the appearance of the patches moving around on the tongue. This by the way is where the technical name (“Migratory Glossitis”) for geographic tongue comes from.  It appears to me that as the older papillae fall off they aren’t replaced quickly enough so the bald patches develop. After a few days new “baby papillae” start to appear within the bald patch but by then another spot is losing its bumps.

By now you may have heard that there isn’t much you can do about Geographic Tongue… most doctors (but not all) don’t have a clue how to treat it. So they tell you, you’ll just have to learn to live with it.

A few medical studies have been done. Unfortunately, those studies are mostly statistical in nature. They have found that roughly 3% of the world’s population has geographic tongue. They also found that more women than men seem to get Geographic Tongue and also that women on birth control pills seem to experience the worst symptoms on day 17. From this they surmise that the problem may be related to hormones. Also people with already weakened systems people or those who are extra sensitive to the environment, like those with asthma, allergies, eczema and immune deficiencies seem to get it more often than more “healthy” people.

Several studies have found that geographic tongue tends to run in families. But they haven’t found any definite pattern of inheritance like you find with eye color or tongue rolling. It is possible that the reason for this tendency is that the nutritional intake within the family is also very similar resulting in the same condition.

Unfortunately, most researchers have not looked into the nutritional aspects of geographic tongue although some research has been done in Europe and Asia. Findings have shown that there are several nutrients that will cause geographic tongue like symptoms. As a matter of fact deficiencies in several vitamins including the B- Vitamins have been classified as the direct cause of tongue problems. It is therefore likely that the other factors like hormones and tendency to occur with in people with weak immune systems and other problems may be a result of vitamin deficiencies related to those problems rather than genetics or other reasons for correlation.

About the Author-

Timothy McMahon of Healthy Tongue Secrets has published a book compiling the various nutritional and other methods of treatment that have found success among sufferers of Geographic Tongue. He has created a new updated version called,
“Treating and Beating Geographic Tongue and Other Tongue Problems” for more information about this book and how to get your copy  Click Here

Welcome to GeographicTongue.org. If you, or someone you know, is suffering from a tongue problem— whether it be Geographic Tongue, Tongue Fissures (or Cracks), Thrush or any other tongue problem— you have come to the right place.

My name is Tim McMahon and I first developed Geographic Tongue almost 30 years ago after suffering with a severe case of Crohn’s disease. I literally went from a healthy active 135-pound college student to a 95-pound walking skeleton. My tongue looked like the battle ground of the white and the red army. It seemed like my tongue was covered with angry red raw patches one day and white fur the next.

Fortunately, I not only eliminated my Crohn’s disease but also discovered the key to eliminating my Geographic Tongue in the process.  It’s my dream to give back and help people like you reduce or eliminate your tongue problems just like I did.

To help you get started quickly and easily, I’ve put together a series of ten secrets to help you get the healthy tongue you deserve. And the best news is that it is 100% FREE.

There is absolutely no cost or obligation on your part. And every day you will receive a free email to help put you on the road to a healthy tongue.

In my FREE eSeries you’ll discover:

How making one tiny change in your diet can make a huge difference in your tongue…

What government intelligence can teach you about Geographic Tongue…

When your body trys to protect you but it actually hurts your tongue…

Why some tongue sufferers put Tobasco Sauce on their tongue…

What to NEVER do when it comes to Geographic Tongue …

When Prescription drugs can impact your tongue health…

How Montezuma’s revenge led to a BIG discovery…

What you can learn from a “Brick Wall”…

Why your tongue is like a gas gauge…

 How your tongue is like a starfish…

When 100% isn’t enough…

And Much, Much, More!

Just Enter Your Information Below to Get Started!

Just LOOK at What all of These Former Tongue Sufferers
Have to Say About Healthy Tongue Secrets!

Hi Tim,

My daughter is 98 % back to normal… It took 3 weeks for her tongue to improve. At first it kept getting worse and I felt like giving up. Thank you very much. Your book and advice was the answer to my prayers… Thank you! Her geographic tongue is no longer!

Christine and Sylvia

Thank-You for your information it has been Life changing. –Vanessa

… as long as I follow the book Ethan [age 3] is symptom free.– Christi and Ethan, St. Albans, W.V.

It is very apparent to me that you really do care about your readership. A. Moore, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

Hi Tim, things are much better .

I am healthy, my tongue much better and i don’t worry about it anymore…

You were the most help of anyone when I was most concerned.

I really appreciate it… Dave

Learn Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Healthy Blemish-Free Tongue, That Will Bring Health to Your Life For Years to Come!

Sincerely,

Tim McMahon

The best way in which you can fortify your body and increase the resistance of your immune system is by changing your unhealthy and haphazard diet with a healthy one, filled with foods containing lots of vitamins and minerals. Such a diet should include vegetables, fruits, cereals, fish, lean meat and dairy products, all of them in moderate quantities, as moderation is good for your body.

The main idea behind this statement is that Angular Cheilitis appears mostly in persons who have great deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Iron, zinc, vitamins B2, B3 and B6 are the ones responsible for a strong immune system. When they are missing, the chances of Angular Cheilitis occurring increase significantly. In case you have these deficiencies and you also have to deal with this skin condition, your body will not have enough strength to fight it effectively, thus the treatment period will be longer than usual. Yet, if you start fortifying your bod,y eating at least three meals a day with healthy food, you will reduce the time needed for healing and will also help your skin recover without scars or spots on the affected area.

A healthy diet is good for every individual, but is even better for those who have suffered from Angular Cheilitis and are always under the threat that this condition may come back. With a strong immune system, there will be no way that cheilosis will ever come back. Even if it does, in no more than one week you will get rid of it as your body will have the necessary resources to fight back!

If you no longer want to have those anesthetic and painful cracks around your mouth, if you want to eat, drink and speak normally without experiencing any pain when opening your mouth, then check out this new and revolutionary treatment! It will get you rid of Angular Cheilitis in just a few days and you will be able to enjoy life to its fullest again, without worrying about those cracks.

Probiotics are defined as “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus reuteri  are three of the common forms of this type of bacteria that ferment milk products into useful foods like yogurt and kefir. Another common microbes used as a probiotic is  bifidobacteria.  Today we have an article by David Oromaner. David is a vitamin, herb, and nutritional supplement specialist with over 25 years experience in the health and wellness industry.

What is the Right Probiotic Dosage?

Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that live in our digestive tract and they are getting more respected and more widely used everyday. In years past it was mainly natural health practitioners that would regularly recommend them to treat and prevent various conditions. Nowadays I see doctor’s notes almost daily recommending probiotics to their patients for many different reasons. Very commonly they are being prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders such as diverticulitis, diarrhea, and food poisoning. It is also very common to see them prescribed for use during and after antibiotic therapy, because it is know well known that antibiotics kill off the good bacteria along with the bad bacteria in the body. The question most of my clients have is how much should I take? This will be the focus of this article.Probiotics potency is measured in CFU (Colony Forming Units). Simply stated, how many good bacteria are you getting per dosage? They can be purchased in a wide and often confusing array of dosages ranging for one billion CFU to two hundred billion CFU. From 1 to 200 billion, that is a very wide dosage range. It is no wonder people do not know what they should do. Here is my take on the dosage.

First, are you using them for daily maintenance? I describe maintenance as “I generally feel pretty good and just want to stay that way”, if this statement describes you than I have found between 1 billion and 15 billion each day to be an adequate dosage. Most experts believe that around 2 billion of total consumption daily is perfect for optimum health benefits.
Second, are you currently having gastrointestinal issues or you currently using or coming off of an antibiotic regimen? If this is the case I would recommend a considerably higher dosage. Usually between 15 billion and 50 billion each day until you feel back to normal. At that point it is suggested to stay on a lower maintenance dose of between 1 billion and 15 billion for a few months until you have built up your active colonies sufficiently to assure good health and digestion into the future.

Third, do you have continuous and severe gastrointestinal issues? If this is your situation than you should opt for a very high dosage probiotics that contains between 50 and 200 billion colony forming units per dose. I would suggest continuing with this high dose for a couple of weeks or until an improvement is noticed. After this stage I would continue on a moderate dose pretty much forever. A moderate dosage would be between 15 billion and 50 billion CFU daily.

The final question is will I you have to take probiotics forever? This answer is not simple. It depends on you. Most people seem to do well once thy have established active colonies within their digestive tracts, meaning that the probiotics that you have taken have established themselves and are now regenerating inside the intestines. This is the best scenario, but for some people it seems that that the probiotics are not able to reproduce in enough numbers to alleviate the need to replenish this supply through dietary supplementation.

David Oromaner is a nutritional supplement specialist. He owns Guaranteed Supplement Designs that develops and distributes cutting edge natural products such as the natural sleep aid GuaranteedToSleep. It is considered to be the best alternative to traditional sleeping aids.

Vitamin B₆ is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. It performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health. For example, vitamin B₆ is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B₆ to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin).

Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B₆ to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B₆ also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B₆ deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.

An immune response is a broad term that describes a variety of biochemical changes that occur in an effort to fight off infections. Calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals are important to your immune defenses because they promote the growth of white blood cells that directly fight infections. Vitamin B₆, through its involvement in protein metabolism and cellular growth, is important to the immune system. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your white blood cells. Animal studies show that a vitamin B₆deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response. Vitamin B₆ also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin B₆ to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels. While a shortage of vitamin B₆ will limit these functions, supplements of this vitamin do not enhance them in well-nourished individuals.

What foods provide vitamin B₆?

Vitamin B₆ is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. The table of selected food sources of vitamin B₆suggests many dietary sources of B₆.

Table of Food Sources of Vitamin B₆

What is the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin B₆ for adults?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group.

The 1998 RDAs for vitamin B₆ for adults, in milligrams, are:

When can a vitamin B6 deficiency occur?

Clinical signs of vitamin B₆ deficiency are rarely seen in the United States. Many older Americans, however, have low blood levels of vitamin B₆, which may suggest a marginal or sub-optimal vitamin B₆ nutritional status. Vitamin B₆ deficiency can occur in individuals with poor quality diets that are deficient in many nutrients. Symptoms occur during later stages of deficiency, when intake has been very low for an extended time. Signs of vitamin B₆ deficiency include dermatitis (skin inflammation), glossitis (a sore tongue), depression, confusion, and convulsions. Vitamin B₆ deficiency also can cause anemia. Some of these symptoms can also result from a variety of medical conditions other than vitamin B₆ deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate these symptoms so that appropriate medical care can be given.

Who may need extra vitamin B₆ to prevent a deficiency?

Individuals with a poor quality diet or an inadequate B₆ intake for an extended period may benefit from taking a vitamin B₆ supplement if they are unable to increase their dietary intake of vitamin B₆. Alcoholics and older adults are more likely to have inadequate vitamin B₆intakes than other segments of the population because they may have limited variety in their diet. Alcohol also promotes the destruction and loss of vitamin B₆ from the body.

Asthmatic children treated with the medicine theophylline may need to take a vitamin B₆supplement. Theophylline decreases body stores of vitamin B₆, and theophylline-induced seizures have been linked to low body stores of the vitamin. A physician should be consulted about the need for a vitamin B₆ supplement when theophylline is prescribed.

What are some current issues and controversies about vitamin B₆?

Vitamin B₆ and the nervous system

Vitamin B₆ is needed for the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are required for normal nerve cell communication. Researchers have been investigating the relationship between vitamin B₆ status and a wide variety of neurologic conditions such as seizures, chronic pain, depression, headache, and Parkinson’s disease.

Lower levels of serotonin have been found in individuals suffering from depression and migraine headaches. So far, however, vitamin B₆ supplements have not proved effective for relieving these symptoms. One study found that a sugar pill was just as likely as vitamin B₆ to relieve headaches and depression associated with low dose oral contraceptives.

Alcohol abuse can result in neuropathy, abnormal nerve sensations in the arms and legs. A poor dietary intake contributes to this neuropathy and dietary supplements that include vitamin B₆ may prevent or decrease its incidence.

Vitamin B₆ and carpal tunnel syndrome

Vitamin B₆ was first recommended for carpal tunnel syndrome almost 30 years ago. Several popular books still recommend taking 100 to 200 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B₆ daily to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, even though scientific studies do not indicate it is effective. Anyone taking large doses of vitamin B₆ supplements for carpal tunnel syndrome needs to be aware that the Institute of Medicine recently established an upper tolerable limit of 100 mg per day for adults. There are documented cases in the literature of neuropathy caused by excessive vitamin B₆ taken for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Vitamin B₆ and premenstrual syndrome

Vitamin B₆ has become a popular remedy for treating the discomforts associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Unfortunately, clinical trials have failed to support any significant benefit. One recent study indicated that a sugar pill was as likely to relieve symptoms of PMS as vitamin B₆. In addition, vitamin B₆ toxicity has been seen in increasing numbers of women taking vitamin B₆ supplements for PMS. One review indicated that neuropathy was present in 23 of 58 women taking daily vitamin B₆ supplements for PMS whose blood levels of B₆ were above normal. There is no convincing scientific evidence to support recommending vitamin B₆ supplements for PMS.

Vitamin B₆ and interactions with medications

There are many drugs that interfere with the metabolism of vitamin B₆. Isoniazid, which is used to treat tuberculosis, and L-DOPA, which is used to treat a variety of neurologic problems such as Parkinson’s disease, alter the activity of vitamin B₆. There is disagreement about the need for routine vitamin B₆ supplementation when taking isoniazid. Acute isoniazid toxicity can result in coma and seizures that are reversed by vitamin B₆, but in a group of children receiving isoniazid, no cases of neurological or neuropsychiatric problems were observed regardless of whether or not they took a vitamin B₆ supplement. Some doctors recommend taking a supplement that provides 100% of the RDA for B₆ when isoniazid is prescribed, which is usually enough to prevent symptoms of vitamin B₆ deficiency. It is important to consult with a physician about the need for a vitamin B₆ supplement when taking isoniazid.

What is the relationship between vitamin B₆, homocysteine, and heart disease?

A deficiency of vitamin B₆, folic acid, or vitamin B12 may increase your level of homocysteine, an amino acid normally found in your blood. There is evidence that an elevated homocysteine level is an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The evidence suggests that high levels of homocysteine may damage coronary arteries or make it easier for blood clotting cells called platelets to clump together and form a clot. However, there is currently no evidence available to suggest that lowering homocysteine level with vitamins will reduce your risk of heart disease. Clinical intervention trials are needed to determine whether supplementation with vitamin B₆, folic acid, or vitamin B12 can help protect you against developing coronary heart disease.

What is the health risk of too much vitamin B6?

Too much vitamin B₆ can result in nerve damage to the arms and legs. This neuropathy is usually related to high intake of vitamin B₆ from supplements, and is reversible when supplementation is stopped. According to the Institute of Medicine, “Several reports show sensory neuropathy at doses lower than 500 mg per day”. As previously mentioned, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established an upper tolerable intake level (UL) for vitamin B₆ of 100 mg per day for all adults. “As intake increases above the UL, the risk of adverse effects increases.”

Vitamin B₆ intakes and healthful diets

Vitamin B₆ is found in a wide variety of foods. Foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, fish including salmon and tuna fish, meats such as pork and chicken, bananas, beans and peanut butter, and many vegetables will contribute to your vitamin B₆ intake. According to the 2005Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “Nutrient needs should be met primarily through consuming foods. Foods provide an array of nutrients and other compounds that may have beneficial effects on health. In certain cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements may be useful sources of one or more nutrients that otherwise might be consumed in less than recommended amounts. However, dietary supplements, while recommended in some cases, cannot replace a healthful diet.”

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy diet as one that:

• emphasizes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts;
• is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; and
• stays within your daily calorie needs.

For more information about building a healthful diet, refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food guidance system, MyPyramid.

Vitamin D is a nutrient found in some foods that is needed for health and to maintain strong bones. It does so by helping the body absorb calcium (one of bone’s main building blocks) from food and supplements. People who get too little vitamin D may develop soft, thin, and brittle bones, a condition known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin D is important to the body in many other ways as well. Muscles need it to move, for example, nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and every body part, and theimmune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D is found in cells throughout the body.

How much vitamin D do I need?

The amount of vitamin D you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts from the Food and Nutrition Board (a national group of experts) for different ages are listed below in International Units (IU):

For infants, children, and adolescents, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises daily intakes of 400 IU, twice the official recommendation of 200 IU.

What foods provide vitamin D?

Very few foods naturally have vitamin D. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in American diets.

• Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are among the best sources.
• Beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks provide small amounts.
• Mushrooms provide some vitamin D. In some mushrooms that are newly available in stores, the vitamin D content is being boosted by exposing these mushrooms to ultraviolet light.
• Almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 400 IU of vitamin D per quart. But foods made from milk, like cheese and ice cream, are usually not fortified.
• Vitamin D is added to many breakfast cereals and to some brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and soy beverages; check the labels.

One can get recommended amounts of vitamin D by eating a variety of foods with plenty of fortified milk and fatty fish.

Can I get vitamin D from the sun?

The body makes vitamin D when skin is directly exposed to the sun, and most people meet some or all of their vitamin D needs this way. Skin exposed to sunshine indoors through a window will not produce vitamin D.

Not much sun is needed to make enough vitamin D. During the warmest months, for example, as little as 5-30 minutes of exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM, several times a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen may be enough. Tanning beds also cause the skin to make vitamin D. 

However, despite the importance of the sun to vitamin D synthesis, most people today do not get enough vitamin D because they limit thier exposure due to fear of skin cancer by covering themselves with clothing and sunscreen they are limiting thier Vitamin D production.  There is actually, evidence that contrary to what we have been told about skin cancer and the sun Vitamin D actually can reduce the chances of skin cancer.  Of course care needs to be taken to avoid burning and sun poisoning which can increase the risk of of skin cancer.  The best method is gradual exposure to the sun rather than going from zero exposure (working in doors all day) to spending all day Saturday on the beach.  Best to start with 5 minutes on the first day, then 10 on the second, then 15 etc.

The energy from the sun is not enough for the skin to make vitamin D during the coldest months in the northern half of the United States—above a line drawn between Boston and the northern border of California. Cloudy days, shade, and having dark-colored skin also cut down on the amount of vitamin D the skin makes.

People who avoid the sun, who cover their bodies with sunscreen or clothing, or who live in the northern half of the United States during the winter months should include good sources of vitamin D in their diets or take a supplement.

What kinds of vitamin D dietary supplements are available?

Vitamin D is found in supplements (and fortified foods) in two different forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Both increase vitamin D in the blood, but the D3 form may do it better and keep levels raised for a longer time. Many supplements now provide vitamin D3 instead of D2.

Am I getting enough vitamin D?

Because vitamin D can come from sun, food, and supplements, the best measure of one’s vitamin D status is blood levels of a form known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Levels are described in either nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or nanomoles per liter (nmol/L), where 1 ng/mL = 2.5 nmol/L.

In general, levels below 15 ng/mL (37.5 nmol/L) are too low for bone or overall health, and levels above 200 ng/mL (500 nmol/L) are too high. It’s not yet clear, but some nutrition experts think a blood level of at least 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) is best for overall good health.

By these measures, some Americans are vitamin D deficient and almost no one has levels that are too high. In general, young people have higher blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D than older people and males have higher levels than females. By race, non-Hispanic blacks tend to have the lowest levels and non-Hispanic whites the highest. The majority of Americans have blood levels lower than 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L).

Certain other groups may not get enough vitamin D:

• Breastfed infants, since human milk is a poor source of the nutrient. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that exclusively and partially breastfed infants be given a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D each day.
• Older adults, since their skin doesn’t make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight as efficiently as when they were young, and their kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active form.
• People with dark skin, because their skin has less ability to produce vitamin D from the sun.
• People with disorders such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease who don’t handle fat properly, because vitamin D needs fat to be absorbed.
• Obese people, because their body fat binds to some vitamin D and prevents it from getting into the blood.

What happens if I don’t get enough vitamin D?

People can become deficient in vitamin D because they don’t consume enough or absorb enough from food, their exposure to sunlight is limited, or their kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form in the body. In children, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, where the bones become soft and bend. It’s a rare disease but still occurs, especially among African American infants and children. In adults, vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia, causing bone pain and muscle weakness.

What are some effects of vitamin D on health?

Vitamin D is being studied for its possible connections to several diseases and medical problems, including diabetes, hypertension, and autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Two of them discussed below are bone disorders and some types of cancer.

Bone disorders

As they get older, millions of people (mostly women, but men too) develop, or are at risk of, osteoporosis, where bones become fragile and may fracture if one falls. It is one consequence of not getting enough calcium and vitamin D over the long term. Supplements of both vitamin D3 (at 700-800 IU/day) and calcium (500-1,200 mg/day) have been shown to reduce the risk of bone loss and fractures in elderly people aged 62-85 years. Men and women should talk with theirhealth care providers about their needs for vitamin D (and calcium) as part of an overall plan to prevent or treat osteoporosis.

Cancer

Some studies suggest that vitamin D may protect against colon cancer and perhaps even cancers of the prostate and breast. But higher levels of vitamin D in the blood have also been linked to higher rates of pancreatic cancer. At this time, it’s too early to say whether low vitamin D status increases cancer risk and whether higher levels protect or even increase risk in some people.

Can vitamin D be harmful?

Yes, when amounts in the blood become too high. Signs of toxicity include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. And by raising blood levels of calcium, too much vitamin D can cause confusion, disorientation, and problems with heart rhythm. Excess vitamin D can also damage the kidneys.

The safe upper limit for vitamin D is 1,000 IU/day for infants and 2,000 IU for children and adults. Vitamin D toxicity almost always occurs from overuse of supplements. Excessive sun exposure doesn’t cause vitamin D poisoning because the body limits the amount of this vitamin it produces.

Are there any interactions with vitamin D that I should know about?

Like most dietary supplements, vitamin D may interact or interfere with other medicines or supplements you might be taking. Here are several examples:

• Prednisone and other corticosteroid medicines to reduce inflammation impairs how the body handles vitamin D, which leads to lower calcium absorption and loss of bone over time.
• Both the weight-loss drug orlistat (brand names Xenical and Alli) and the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine (brand names Questran, LoCholest, and Prevalite) can reduce the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, and K).
• Both phenobarbital and phenytoin (brand name Dilantin), used to prevent and control epileptic seizures, increase the breakdown of vitamin D and reduce calcium absorption.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about any dietary supplements and medicines you take. They can tell you if those dietary supplements might interact or interfere with your prescription or over-the-counter medicines, or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.

Where can I find out more about vitamin D?

• Office of Dietary Supplements Health Professional Fact Sheet on Vitamin D.
• Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin D QuickFacts.
• MedlinePlus, Vitamins®.
• Vitamin D Content of Selected Foods Per Common Measure.
• For more advice on buying dietary supplements, see the Office of Dietary Supplements Frequently Asked Questions: Which brand(s) of dietary supplements should I purchase?
• For information on the government’s food guidance system, see MyPyramid.

This fact sheet by the Office of Dietary Supplements provides information that should not take the place of medical advice. Talk to a doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, or other qualified health care provider before taking dietary supplements. They can tell you if dietary supplements are right for you and what effects they could have if you take them with other dietary supplements or medicines.

NOTE: Some of the above information is from The National Institutes of Health