Taking too much vitamin D can have ramifications for your health, which is why it’s so important to watch how much you’re taking on a daily basis.

This is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which makes it harder for our body to easily excrete any excess. Over time, this means vitamin D levels can build up in the body.

“Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body, which is known as hypercalcaemia,” Pennington explains. “This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and heart.”

According to the NHS and Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hypercalcaemia include:

Being sick
Drowsiness
Frequent urination
Weakness
Dehydration
Confusion
Muscle spasms
Bone pain
Joint pain
Irregular heartbeat

If you’re concerned you might have taken too much vitamin D, you should seek medical advice. However, hypercalcaemia is rare – especially if you don’t go overboard with the vitamin D.

In general, a good way to work out whether your vitamin D supplementation is having the desired effect is to take a vitamin D test. Indeed, as nutritionist Thalia Pellegrini previously told Strong Women: “I always recommend doing a vitamin D test once or twice a year. They’re inexpensive, easy to do at home and you can know how much vitamin D you actually need.”

Can you take too much vitamin D? This is what the experts say