2024-01-12 18:54:27
As of: January 12, 2024 2:45 p.m
Vitamin D is important for bones and the immune system. The body can produce it itself, but it needs sunlight to do so. There is too little of this in Germany in winter. However, a deficiency can be prevented.
Anyone who lives in the north has little chance of producing enough vitamin D during the dark season. According to the Robert Koch Institute, more than 30 percent of adults in Germany have too little vitamin D in their blood in the autumn and winter months. However, long-term deficiency can be harmful to health because the body needs the vitamin to incorporate calcium from food into bones and teeth. Vitamin D is also said to strengthen the immune system.
Vitamin D deficiency can damage bones
A possible consequence of vitamin D deficiency is a decrease in bone density and bone softening (osteomalacia). In older people, a vitamin D deficiency can also promote osteoporosis. In addition, muscle weakness, respiratory infections, depression and mood swings become more likely. In infants and children, a severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets and thus permanent deformities of the skeleton.
Prevent vitamin D deficiency
Regular walks in the sun can be enough to produce enough vitamin D.
The best way to counteract winter vitamin D deficiency is to build up reserves in the brighter months, which the body stores in fat and muscle tissue. To do this, it is recommended to expose your face, hands and arms to the sun uncovered and without sun protection two to three times a week between March and October, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, half the time that a sunburn would occur if left unprotected is sufficient for sufficient vitamin D production. An example: A person with skin type II (light skin) should stay in the sun without protection for a maximum of 20 minutes with a UV index of 7 – which roughly corresponds to solar radiation in summer. Ten minutes is enough to produce enough vitamin D.
Go for a walk outside in winter
This vitamin D supply is usually enough to get you through the dark season without any deficiency symptoms. The body also produces some vitamin D in winter, for example when taking walks in the fresh air with an exposed face and without gloves. Incidentally, daylight lamps are not an alternative to going outside because they usually have a UV filter – and it is the UV portion of the light that stimulates the body’s own vitamin D production.
These foods provide vitamin D
Around ten to 20 percent of your vitamin D requirement can be covered through your diet. The following foods contain particularly high amounts of vitamin D:
- Owner
- fatty fish, such as herring and salmon
- Dairy products, such as cheese and butter
Further information
Steamed, fried, raw or as smoked or graved salmon: diverse and delicious salmon recipes to cook. more
Avocado does not contain vitamin D
For years, the avocado was also considered a good source of vitamin D. However, more recent measurements could not confirm the previously determined content of 3.4 micrograms per 100 grams according to the Max Rubner Institute. The Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food is responsible, among other things, for maintaining the Federal Food Code, an extensive nutritional database. Contrary to popular belief, avocados hardly contain any vitamin D. The same applies to tea or coffee as well as cereals, potatoes, legumes and whole grain products.
Be careful with foods fortified with vitamin D
In a market sample, consumer advice centers found that more and more foods are fortified with vitamin D, even though this is prohibited in Germany without approval. Consuming too much vitamin D can harm your health. Of the 112 products examined, more than half did not have permission. These included juices and yoghurts, but also breakfast cereals and milk substitutes.
A noticeable number of fortified products also contained a lot of fat and sugar. Consumer advocates recommend paying attention to whether products contain vitamin D when shopping. This is especially true for foods that are consumed in larger quantities.
Who are vitamin D supplements useful for?
For certain people it may make sense to additionally cover their vitamin D needs with tablets. These risk groups that often suffer from vitamin D deficiency include:
- People who rarely spend time outdoors, for example those with chronic illnesses and those in need of care
- older people, as the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D decreases with age
- dark-skinned people, as the higher melanin content of their skin shields UV-B radiation more effectively
- People who only go outdoors with their bodies completely covered
- Smokers, as deficiency may worsen lung function.
Ask your doctor before taking vitamin D
Before taking special vitamin D supplements, you should consult a doctor and have your vitamin D status checked. However, statutory health insurance companies only cover the costs of the test in justified cases. The laboratory costs are around 30 euros, plus medical costs. There are now rapid tests for at home, but according to doctors their testing methods are considered unsafe.
Vitamin D: Beware of overdose
How high a dose of vitamin D should be depends, among other things, on age, body size and previous illnesses. Vitamin D preparations with very high dosages per capsule are sometimes offered, especially on the Internet. Caution is advised here because vitamin D is fat-soluble and accumulates in the body. Too much of it leads to excessive calcium levels over time. This can acutely lead to nausea and abdominal cramps – but in severe cases it can also lead to kidney damage and cardiac arrhythmias.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also warns of the dangers of excessive vitamin D intake. Like the German Society for Nutrition, it therefore recommends a maximum daily dose of 20 micrograms, i.e. 800 IU (international units) – ideally under medical supervision.
Further information
The mood drops, the immune system weakens: lack of light can make you sick. Tips for the dark season. more
At least 30 percent of Germans have too little vitamin D in their blood in the winter months. more
Vitamin pills and other supplements look like medicines. But there are enormous differences in the regulations. more
Many people swear by vitamin C to prevent colds in winter. Which foods contain particularly high amounts? more
This topic in the program:
NDR Info | Radio visit | February 16, 2022 | 9:25 a.m
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