Your Body Makes It Naturally

Yet We Fear the Natural Amount of Vitamin D

In early February 2025, a bizarre food scandal rocked Norway—what locals dubbed "the egg scandal." A major agricultural supplier accidentally delivered feed laced with extreme levels of vitamin D to chickens and pigs in a central region of the country. The result? Eggs containing up to 300 micrograms (12,000 IU) of vitamin D each—enough to send food safety authorities into a tailspin.

Your body makes it naturally, but in food, it’s suddenly dangerous? (Image generated by ChatGPT, created by OpenAI.)

Over 10 million eggs—roughly 600 tons—were recalled from stores, and more than 700 pigs had to be destroyed due to the contaminated feed. Officials labeled it "dangerous," urging people to toss their eggs in the trash. But was this really a threat to public health, or did we just throw away a golden opportunity out of sheer panic?

Vitamin D – Essential, Yet Misunderstood
Vitamin D isn’t just a nutrient; it’s a hormone that regulates everything from bone strength to immune function, heart health, and mental well-being. On a sunny summer day, your skin can churn out 10,000–20,000 IU in just 15–30 minutes—dwarfing the official daily recommendations of 400–800 IU, which suddenly seem laughably low.

So why is something our bodies produce in such abundance considered dangerous? The answer lies in history. In the early 20th century, guidelines were set at a bare minimum—400 IU—to prevent rickets, a childhood disease that causes deformed bones. That was enough to avoid the worst, but it was never meant to optimize health for adults or shield us from modern lifestyle diseases.

In northern climates like Scandinavia—or anywhere far from the equator—the challenge is even greater. The sun’s UVB rays, which trigger vitamin D production, are scarce in winter. In places like northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle, people can go weeks without seeing daylight, while even in southern areas, low sun angles block UVB for months. Studies suggest 60% of people in such regions have suboptimal levels, raising risks of colds, cancer, depression, and weakened immunity. Research, like a 2017 meta-analysis in The BMJ, shows that 4,000–10,000 IU daily is safe for most, offering benefits like fewer infections and stronger bones. Toxicity? That usually takes sky-high doses, though it varies person to person.

My Story: 10,000 IU and Covid-19
For nearly six years, I’ve taken 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, and the results have been life-changing. I used to catch every bug going around, feel drained, and struggle through winter’s gloom. Now? I’m rarely sick, bursting with energy, and when I tested positive for Covid-19, I barely noticed—I kept shoveling snow for myself and my neighbors like it was nothing.

Vitamin D isn’t the whole story, though. I also take magnesium and vitamin K2 to support it, eat more whole foods (unprocessed, real ingredients), and boost my gut health with probiotics from fermented foods and supplements. Still, vitamin D3 is a cornerstone—it’s given me a resilience I never thought possible.

Fear Outweighs Facts
So why did these vitamin D-packed eggs spark such alarm? The fear has deep roots. In the 1940s and ‘50s, poorly regulated supplements caused disasters: some labeled as 400 IU contained up to 1 million IU per dose, leading to hypercalcemia—too much calcium in the blood—with symptoms like kidney stones and organ damage. In 1950s Britain, infants fell ill from over-fortified milk, cementing a culture of caution.

But modern science paints a different picture. A 2019 study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found toxicity typically kicks in above blood levels of 375 nmol/L. For most, that takes doses exceeding 100,000 IU for months. Sensitive individuals might struggle with 40,000 IU over time, especially without K2, magnesium, or healthy kidneys. Those 12,000 IU eggs? Far from dangerous for most—they were an unexpected gift we were too scared to unwrap.

Super Eggs on the Shelves?
What if we’d embraced these 12,000 IU eggs and sold them during the dark winter months? Imagine the potential: one egg could boost your blood levels to a robust 200–250 nmol/L, a natural, effective fix when sunlight fails us—especially in places where winter feels endless. Japan’s been selling vitamin D-enriched eggs for years, tightly regulated and loved by health-conscious buyers. In Norway, we could’ve turned a “scandal” into a resource, instead of dumping 10 million eggs in the trash.

Safety’s the sticking point, though. European health authorities, like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), set the upper safe limit at 4,000 IU (100 micrograms) daily for adults. One 12,000 IU egg would blow past that if eaten daily, likely why regulators panicked—fearing people might scarf them down unchecked and end up with calcium overload.

But pause and think: On a summer day, your body makes 10,000–20,000 IU in half an hour. A week of sunshine could rack up tens of thousands of IU, no toxicity warnings required. So why’s 4,000 IU the magic cutoff when nature dishes out far more without issue? Yes, eating vitamin D differs from making it via skin, but the point stands: our bodies handle high levels just fine. To me, one 12,000 IU egg a day in the depths of winter sounds brilliant—a natural boost mimicking summer sun. With clear labeling (one egg covers days of needs) and guidance to avoid overdoing supplements, this could’ve been a game-changer—a local gem boosting public health when we need it most.

Take Charge Yourself
I urge you to take control: Test your levels at the doctor’s and aim high—200–250 nmol/L, just under the max recommended cap of 250 nmol/L for peak benefits, well above the cautious 75 nmol/L many settle for. Take 4,000–10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily; it’s safe for most, per a 2021 EFSA report. Pair it with magnesium (200–400 mg) to aid absorption and vitamin K2 (100–200 micrograms) to direct calcium to bones, not arteries.

Some tolerate less—40,000 IU over months has caused hypercalcemia in rare cases—so listen to your body and test if unsure. For me, this trio’s been golden—I’m stronger and healthier than ever. Maybe this “scandal” wasn’t a warning, but an invitation to rethink vitamin D and our well-being?