A few years ago hardly anyone talked about vitamin D, nowadays it is on everyone's lips. The health value of vitamin D is undisputed. Bone health, a strong immune system, good mood and much more depend on a sufficient supply of the sun vitamin.

Vitamin D is a substance that the body can produce itself under one condition: UV-B sunlight hits UNPROTECTED skin. In our latitudes, UV-B sunlight is only available from April to September, and only at midday. Now in March, all people living in our area have the lowest vitamin D levels of the year.

If you want to have a realistic insight into the vitamin D content of your body, you should have your blood level determined at the end of winter. Measured at this time, the value shows the body's real need. Vitamin D measurement is not (yet) part of a normal screening. Only a few doctors allow their patients to have vitamin D determined. In our practice, vitamin D is routinely ordered at every preventive check-up and during check-ups. For this purpose, blood must be sent to a special laboratory. The costs for this measurement are not covered by all health insurance companies. Nevertheless, we recommend that each of our patients check their vitamin D level once a year to ensure that an effective therapeutic level of vitamin D is achieved.

Different units of measurement of vitamin D

Different laboratories report the value of vitamin D3 (25-cholecalciferol) in different units of measurement. In our country, the value is usually given in nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml). If the value is given in nanomoles per litre (nmol/l), it must be divided by 2.5 to get the same measurement result in ng/ml. Example: 100 nmol/l : 2.5 = 40 ng/ml

How high should the blood level of vitamin D be?

The extremely conservative nutrition societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have set 30-100 ng/ml as the norm. Studies show that only at vitamin D levels above 40 ng/ml can sufficient calcium be absorbed from food. The world's leading experts recommend blood levels between 50 and 70 ng/ml all year round. This ensures that vitamin D not only wards off rickets, which is possible even with lower blood levels, but can also have many other positive health effects.

Who has a vitamin D deficiency?

The answer to this question depends above all on the level at which one speaks of deficiency. If one assumes values below 30 ng/ml as deficiency, 70-80% of the population is affected. If one sets higher target values between 50-70 ng/ml, an even higher proportion of the population is victims of vitamin D deficiency.

Who should take vitamin D?

Since vitamin D deficiency is evenly distributed across all age groups, from a preventive medicine perspective, everyone should take vitamin D. For more than 95% of the population, sun exposure is not sufficient to achieve year-round vitamin D levels above 50 ng/ml. Vitamin D intake is particularly important for four population groups:

• Infants and children up to puberty.
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers
• People with fatigue and/or nervous disorders
• Women in the menopause

How long should you take vitamin D?

The world's leading expert on vitamin D, Professor Dr Michael F. Holick of Boston University, said in an Ö1 Morgenjournal interview in April 2016: "I recommend taking vitamin D in sufficient doses all year round for everyone." He argues that our lifestyles, in which we move around predominantly clothed and spend a lot of time indoors, make it impossible to generate sufficient vitamin D from sunlight. According to Professor Holick, vitamin D deficiency is an easily preventable disease of civilisation. Even people who spend a lot of time in the sun can hardly overdose on vitamin D.

How high should one dose vitamin D?

To achieve the recommended blood level of 50-70 ng/ml, a rule of thumb is to take 1000 units of vitamin D per 20 kg body weight per day. So if a child weighs between 10 and 20 kg, that is 1000 units per day, a lightweight adult weighing 50 kg should take 3000 i.U. per day and a heavyweight weighing 110 kg should take 6000 i.U. per day. Pregnant women and nursing mothers have a higher requirement than 1000 i.U. per day. Most experts prefer a daily intake to the weekly or monthly high dose of 20,000 - 100,000 i.U.

What does vitamin D help with?

Its positive effect on bone health is well known. Paediatricians recommend the famous drop of vitamin D with 400 i.U. as a daily dose in infancy to prevent bone softening or rickets. This relatively low vitamin D dose is sufficient for this purpose. For the prevention of osteoporosis in older age, a continuous higher dose is necessary. For this purpose, vitamin D should also be combined with vitamin K2. Since vitamin D affects over 200 genes in every cell of the body, the bones are not the only tissue that benefits from sufficient vitamin D supply. Research over the past decades has confirmed positive effects of vitamin D in the following areas: Infection defence and immune system, fat and sugar metabolism, brain health including Alzheimer's prevention and antidepressant effects, heart and muscle strength, and prevention of cancers of the intestine, prostate, skin and breast.

Vitamin D and K2 - Congenial partners

Vitamin D transports calcium from the digestive tract into the body. Vitamin K2 (MK7), which is also fat-soluble, transports the absorbed calcium from the soft body tissues into the bones, where it activates the bone-forming cells. The simultaneous use of vitamin D and K2 supports optimal bone health into old age.

Which vitamin D supplements?

A fixed combination of vitamin D and K2 is recommended for infants, small children, nursing mothers and senior citizens. You can purchase such a fixed combination in the Ayurveda shop. For all other people, the sufficiently dosed intake of vitamin D drops is sufficient.

How should I take vitamin D?

As both vitamin D and vitamin K2 are fat-soluble, it is recommended to take the drops with some fat (linseed oil, ghee or butter) as part of the first meal of the day.

Vitamin D consultation

We will be happy to determine your vitamin D level by taking a blood sample in our practice and advise you on an optimal dosage tailored to your current vitamin D requirements and body weight. Please make an appointment for blood sampling and/or consultation at our practice via eAppointment or by phone eTermin oder telefonisch 07752 86622.