vitamin D
In addition to all other vitamins and important nutrients, vitamin D has a special position. Vitamin D has many known effects in the human body, and more effects are still being explored. Strictly speaking, vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. The most important of these are D3 and D2. In the following we use the term vitamin D to refer to variant D3, as this has the most far-reaching effects.
Consequences of vitamin D deficiency
It is estimated that around 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. It is estimated that up to 50% of the population are affected in Europe and North America. If you consider the consequences such an undersupply can have, it is very worrying. The best known consequences of a vitamin D deficiency are:
- Reduced bone density and thus fragile bones and a higher risk of breakage.
- Muscle weakness, muscle twitching and muscle pain. The twitches are usually a result of insufficient calcium, which cannot be absorbed due to the vitamin D deficiency.
- Weakened immune system.
Sunlight and vitamin D.
Vitamin D can be produced either directly from food or with the help of sunlight. Vitamin D is naturally contained in the following foods: fish with a high fat content (tuna, salmon), egg yolks, beef liver and fish liver. However, most people do not get enough vitamin D from their diet.
The body can also produce this vitamin D itself by converting a precursor of vitamin D into vitamin D with the help of UVB radiation in sunlight. However, since many people spend more and more time indoors and the sun shines much less strongly in Europe in winter, a large number of them are unable to cover their vitamin D requirements through solar radiation alone.
Food supplements
A very good way of ensuring a healthy vitamin level is to take it through dietary supplements (in the form of drops or pills). Many health authorities, including the Swiss BAG, recommend taking vitamin D daily.
Attention: You should definitely follow the recommendations of your doctor or the health authorities regarding the amount to be taken, because it is possible to overdose on vitamin D and have symptoms of intoxication.
Test the vitamin D level
Fortunately, it's very easy to test your vitamin D levels these days. You can either have this carried out easily by your family doctor or you can do a test yourself at home. Typically, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood is tested. This is usually given in nanomoles per liter (nmol / L). Sometimes the test result is also given in nanograms per milliliter (ng / mL). In this case the value can simply be divided by 2.5 and you get nanomoles per liter (i.e. 20 ng / mL = 50 nmol / L). In general, the values can be assessed as follows:
- Severe deficiency: <30 nmol / L
- Deficiency: <50 nmol / L
- Insufficiency: 50-75 nmol / L
- Normal: 75-250 nmol / L
You can also buy your sun-a-wear sensor in a package with a vitamin D home test at a reduced price. This simple test allows you to know where you stand and the result will usually be emailed to you the next working day.
See also
Sources:
- One billion people are vitamin D deficient: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23371942/
- Wikipedia on vitamin D: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D
