Does it make sense to take vitamin D tablets? What nutrition expert Cornelia Zink from AOK recommends in the dark season.
Especially in winter, there is always a warning about a lack of vitamin D. The human body can produce enough of it itself, the skin only needs sufficient sunlight for it and there is less in the dark season, according to an AOK press release. “Nevertheless, very few suffer from a real vitamin D deficiency,” says nutritionist Cornelia Zink from the AOK office nördlingen, The press release goes on to say that additional vitamin D – beyond the normal diet – cannot prevent cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
Vitamin D hardens bones and teeth
However, this does not mean that vitamin D is not important for the body. “It supports the body in absorbing calcium from food and thus hardens bones and teeth,” says Zink. It also has a positive influence on muscle strength and strengthens the immune system. A real lack of vitamin D can also have serious consequences: bone softening can occur, called rickets in infants and young children, and osteomalacia in adults. “These diseases can actually be treated well with vitamin D tablets,” said the AOK nutrition expert. In addition, a vitamin D deficiency in older people is a risk factor for osteoporosis.
According to a study by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), just under 40 percent of adults in Germany achieve an optimal vitamin D value. But the AOK informs that serious vitamin D deficiency is rare. It only makes sense to check this if you have an increased risk, such as an older age, immobility or a chronic disease of the stomach, intestine, liver or kidneys or even an osteoporosis disease. A blood test at the doctor’s office can confirm that vitamin D levels are too low. In any case, the intake of vitamin D tablets should always be discussed with the family doctor. Because too much vitamin D can also harm. “Excessive amounts of vitamin D increase the calcium level in the blood with the risk of kidney failure,” warns the AOK nutritionist.
Calcium-rich diet and exercise in the fresh air
Everyone could do something to prevent a vitamin D deficiency. So a calcium-rich diet with exercise in the fresh air and no smoking is advisable. Those who naturally replenish their vitamin D stores in summer can feed on them in the winter months. Therefore, the general recommendation was to take a walk outdoors two to three times a week, at least from March to October, and to expose the face, hands and arms briefly to the sun and without sun protection (use sun protection in good time). “But even in the winter half-year, the body produces some vitamin D when you go for a walk with your face free and without gloves for 20 to 30 minutes,” says Zink. The effect of the sun’s rays covers up to 90 percent of the body’s needs, but food can also help a little: some foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D. These include fatty sea fish such as herring or salmon and mushrooms (porcini mushrooms, shiitake, mushrooms) , Veal, liver, margarine and egg.
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