The pandemic has been a scourge for almost all sectors, for many, but not for all. This is the case in the world of supplements. All the sector has seen consumption grow, but one, in particular, has experienced a real boom. This “lucky” group is the one that contains vitamin D.
In the midst of the health crisis, supplements with this vitamin were perceived as stimulators of the immune system and on this belief they became a world market of 1.1 billion dollars with growth forecasts at 7%. According to Business Wire, the growth target for 2025 is $ 1.6 billion.
Despite this, the whole medical world agrees on the risks of indiscriminate consumption, the absence of tests that require a massive screening of vitamin D levels, the lack of a universal indicator of adequate concentrations and the risk of self-medication.
In short, the abuse and discriminated use of vitamin D would be a serious health hazard for doctors.
Such a risk that the United States Medical Task Force of Preventive Services has stated that “There is no general evidence on the benefits of vitamin D, so it is not possible to balance the benefits and risks of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults.
Additionally, vitamin D requirements can vary from person to person, so there is no single concentration level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the most common blood marker) that defines deficiency, and there is no consensus on precise serum levels. of vitamin D indicating the state of health “.
In any case, the determination of adequate levels and the prescription of supplements or treatments must be indicated by specialists because the excessive consumption of any nutrient, even neutral such as water, can have harmful consequences.
According to the National Institutes of Health of the USA “Excessive consumption of vitamin D can be harmful. Too high concentrations in the blood (above 150 ng / mL) can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration, excessive urination and thirst, kidney stones, kidney failure, arrhythmia and even death. “
These negative effects have a specific cause, according to the NIH “High levels of vitamin D are almost always due to its consumption in excessive quantities through dietary supplements”.
The assimilation of the so-called vitamin D, since it is a hormone, is produced by skin synthesis thanks to solar radiation (80%) and diet (20%). These sources may not be sufficient in some cases for populations living in areas with little sunshine or with risk factors. But only a specialist can determine this and it cannot be corrected with self-consumption of supplements.
Despite all the warnings, the consumption of supplements continues to grow and the reason is Covid-19.
But the beneficial process of taking vitamin D isn’t that simple. The generation of vitamin D requires previous biotransformation and this is achieved by a prohormone which acts as a precursor to reach the necessary levels that contribute to a better response to covid. It is calcifediol, produced in the liver by a chemical reaction (hydroxylation of vitamin D3) thanks to an enzyme, an organic molecule that acts as a catalyst.
In the pilot study, randomized and open in 76 patients, 50 received calcifediol and only one requested admission to the ICU. Half of the other 26 received placebo and went into intensive care. The best response of calcifediol to Covid occurs in blood concentrations of approximately 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng / mL).
The fascination of vitamin D began in the early 1920s with the discovery that it prevented rickets. And then from other potential benefits, including immune function, cardiovascular health and cancer, as The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology points out.
However, the same publication warns that while the data on vitamin D’s role in bone growth and maintenance is clear, the evidence supporting its role in other health processes and diseases, particularly acute airway infections, remains. not so certain.
In any case, one certainty remains on everyone: the indiscriminate use of Vitamin D can be dangerous.