"I Thought I Was Having a Heart Attack"... god's Park Joon-hyung Says His Body Broke Down After Taking 'This' Every Day for a Year [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Park Joon-hyung, a member of the group god, has recently drawn attention after revealing that he was diagnosed with arrhythmia following long-term overdoses of vitamin D3.
Appearing on singer DinDin's YouTube channel on the 11th, Park said he took 15,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day for a year, far more than what an acquaintance had recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Park said, "During COVID-19, Julien Kang told me, 'You need to take a lot of vitamin D3, so take five 1,000-IU pills a day,'" adding, "I thought I should take even more, so I took 15,000 IU a day."
He continued, "Later, I got short of breath when climbing a hill and my arm went numb, so I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with arrhythmia," and added, "The test results showed that my blood vitamin D level was 10 times higher than normal."
Medical experts warn that while vitamin D is essential for bone health and immune function, taking too much can cause serious side effects.

Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are excreted in urine when taken in excess. Vitamin D, however, is a fat-soluble vitamin. When fat-soluble vitamins are consumed in large amounts, they are not easily eliminated from the body and instead accumulate, especially in the liver and fatty tissue. As a result, long-term overuse can build up to toxic levels in the body.
One of vitamin D's key roles is helping the intestines absorb calcium efficiently. But when there is too much vitamin D in the body, calcium is absorbed excessively, causing hypercalcemia, a condition in which calcium levels in the blood become abnormally high.
When hypercalcemia occurs, the cardiovascular system may develop arrhythmia, in which the heartbeat becomes irregular, or vascular calcification. Digestive symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, intense thirst, and constipation. General symptoms may include lethargy, weakness, fatigue, and reduced concentration.
The shortness of breath and arrhythmia Park experienced are also classic side effects of overdose, caused by extreme calcium levels affecting the heart. If left untreated, the remaining calcium can accumulate in organs and lead to fatal complications such as kidney stones or acute kidney failure, a permanent form of kidney damage.

So how much vitamin D is safe? Medical experts say the usual recommended daily intake for adults is between 600 and 800 IU. The upper safe limit to avoid side effects is set at no more than 4,000 IU per day.
The 15,000 IU Park took is an extreme dose, more than 3.5 times the daily safe upper limit. Experts note that taking such a high dose for months or longer, up to a year, without special medical supervision or monitoring is very dangerous.
Before buying supplements on impulse, it is best to check your current vitamin D level with a simple blood test at a hospital. If your level is within the normal range, 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day is usually enough. Even if you were prescribed a high-dose injection or supplement for severe deficiency, you should reduce the dose according to your doctor's instructions once your levels recover.
Experts also advise that getting 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight a day and eating foods such as salmon, oily fish, and egg yolks can safely help replenish vitamin D.
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter