Vitamin D is one of the most commonly used supplements, popular among people with a deficiency or those who think they might have one. But what happens when you take vitamin D pills daily for a while? Here are three potential benefits\u2014and one risk\u2014to keep in mind.\n<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not getting enough vitamin D through food or sun exposure, a daily vitamin D supplement<\/a> may benefit your bones.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n When you ingest vitamin D, your kidneys jump into action and transform it into calcitriol, the biologically active form of the vitamin. According to Stanford Medicine endocrinologist and internal medicine physician Marilyn Tan, MD, FACE, FACP<\/a>, calcitriol then promotes calcium absorption from the intestines<\/a>, which ultimately helps bones grow. Vitamin D also supports phosphorus absorption, which leads to bone mineral growth, she added.\n<\/p>\n If you aren\u2019t deficient in vitamin D, however, taking extra vitamin D is unlikely to have a meaningful effect on bone health. A 2022 study found that healthy people who took vitamin D had no fewer fractures than those taking a placebo.\n<\/p>\n Another perk of taking vitamin D for those who don\u2019t get enough: better oral health. Your teeth, like your bones, rely on calcium to grow, and vitamin D deficiencies<\/a> have been linked to poorer oral health.<\/p>\n Wassim Diab, MD, FACP, MHA<\/a>, an internist and the vice chair of the department of medicine at Northwell Health’s Staten Island University Hospital, said that vitamin D also helps maintain a healthy balance of minerals in the body, which promotes tooth mineralization.<\/p>\n Low levels of vitamin D can also throw you off balance. In addition to weakening bones, deficiencies are associated with \u201cmuscle pain and weakness<\/a>, increasing the risk of falls and fractures,\u201d Diab said.<\/p>\n Research suggests that increasing vitamin D levels can improve balance, strength, and gait in people with deficiencies.<\/p>\n While rare, there is such a thing as too much vitamin D. Ingesting excessive amounts can lead to hypercalcemia, a condition in which there is too much calcium in the blood. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, impaired cognition, and dehydration.<\/p>\n \u201cProlonged exposure can lead to serious complications, including kidney failure and potentially dangerous cardiac rhythm disturbances,\u201d Diab said.<\/p>\n