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Vitamin D spielt eine entscheidende Rolle für unsere Gesundheit, und ein Mangel an diesem lebenswichtigen Vitamin kann sich in Symptomen wie ständiger Müdigkeit, Stimmungsschwankungen oder dem Gefühl ständiger „Abgeschlagenheit“ äußern. Schätzungsweise 40 % der europäischen Bevölkerung leidet an einem Vitamin-D-Mangel. Fühlen Sie sich in letzter Zeit oft müde oder reizbar? Dann könnte es sein, dass auch Sie zu den vielen Menschen gehören, die von einem Vitamin-D-Mangel betroffen sind. Lesen Sie weiter, wenn Sie mehr darüber erfahren möchten.
Was ist Vitamin D?
Anders als der Name vermuten lässt, handelt es sich bei Vitamin D nicht um ein einzelnes Vitamin, sondern um einen Sammelbegriff für eine Gruppe von fettlöslichen Vitaminen, die besonders wichtig für den Kalziumhaushalt und die Mineralisierung unserer Knochen sind.
Vitamin D kann vom menschlichen Körper über die Nahrung aufgenommen oder mit Hilfe von Sonnenlicht gebildet werden. Genau hierin unterscheidet sich Vitamin D von anderen Vitaminen – streng genommen ist Vitamin D kein echtes Vitamin. This is because by definition, vitamins are essential organic compounds that have to be ingested from food because the body cannot produce them or cannot produce adequate quantities.
The main function of vitamin D is the formation and maturation of bone stem cells. Vitamin D is also responsible for calcium absorption in the intestine.
What is a vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency occurs when the body has less vitamin D than it needs. There can be various reasons for this. Since the body’s production of vitamin D with the help of sunlight is responsible for over 80% of the vitamin D in the body, a “sunlight deficiency” is usually the main cause. This usually occurs in people that do not live in a sunny climate, stay indoors often, or have darker skin. Aber auch eine schlechte Ernährung oder Krankheiten können einen Vitamin-D-Mangel verursachen.
Wie hoch ist mein täglicher Bedarf an Vitamin D?
Wie bei anderen Nährstoffen hängt der tägliche Bedarf an diesem Vitamin von Ihrem Alter ab. Thus, seniors need twice as much vitamin D as newborns. Die empfohlene Tagesdosis an Vitamin D wird in Mikrogramm (µg) gemessen.
| Alter | Recommended amount |
| Neugeborene (0 – 12 Monate) | 10 µg |
| Kinder (1 – 13 Jahre) | 15 µg |
| Jugendliche (14 – 18 Jahre) | 15 µg |
| Erwachsene (19 – 70 Jahre) | 15 µg |
| Senioren (ab 71 Jahren) | 20 µg |
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Warum ist Vitamin D so wichtig?
Vitamin D is essential for our daily well-being because it is involved in important processes in the body. Vitamin D strengthens the immune system, supports the muscles, and strengthens the bones. We obtain the majority of our daily vitamin D requirement through our own production when we expose ourselves to the sun’s rays. However, during winter in the northern hemisphere there are few hours of sunlight, which leads to a vitamin D deficiency in many people during the cold season. This deficit cannot be compensated for with a vitamin D-rich diet alone. It is therefore advisable to meet your vitamin D requirements with vitamin D supplements in the months with little sunshine in order to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
What are vitamin D deficiency symptoms?
Vitamin D deficiency manifests itself in a number of ways. Symptoms usually appear when the deficiency has existed for a considerable period of time. If this is the case, the following symptoms usually become noticeable:
- Muskelschwäche
- Müdigkeit
- Schmerzen in den Knochen
- Osteoporosis or broken bones
- Softening of the back of the head
Note: The symptoms mentioned refer to a long-lasting vitamin D deficiency, and bone damage occurs in only severe cases.
What are the causes of vitamin D deficiency?
As already mentioned at the beginning, there are different reasons for a vitamin D deficiency. Basically, the causes can be divided into three categories – lack of sunlight, poor nutrition, or certain diseases.
People who rarely go out in the sun run a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than people who spend more time outside. This applies in particular to people who are in institutional care, are older, or people who cover their body, face, or hair outdoors for religious or cultural reasons.
Certain diseases can also be a reason for a vitamin D deficiency. Dazu gehören rheumatoide Arthritis, chronisch entzündliche Darmerkrankungen und Osteoporose.
A diet low in vitamin D can also lead to the development of a vitamin D deficiency. Foods rich in vitamin D include products such as fatty fish, organ meats such as kidneys and liver, eggs, porcini mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamin D such as milk or orange juice.
How can you fix a vitamin D deficiency?
The easiest way to remedy a vitamin D deficiency is to do three things – spend more time outdoors, adopt a balanced and healthy diet and, in certain cases, take vitamin D supplements.
The easiest and most effective way to replenish your vitamin D stores is to take a daily walk outside. How long this walk should be depends on the time of year. As already mentioned, vitamin D supplements are recommended during the winter months. In spring and autumn, on the other hand, 10 – 20 minutes in the sun is enough to meet the daily vitamin D requirement. In summer, 5 – 10 minutes are enough..
Note: Even if a visit to a tanning bed exposes the body to UV radiation, this is not a suitable alternative to going outside for a walk and does not provide adequate vitamin D.
Another way to support vitamin D levels is a balanced diet. While animal products are the highest in vitamin D, people who follow a plant based diet may benefit from drinking plant milks or juices fortified with vitamin D.
If your vitamin D level is so low that even going for a walk or a balanced diet does not reverse the deficiency, vitamin D supplements are the best and safest way to bring vitamin D levels back to a normal level. Befolgen Sie jedoch die Dosierungsanweisungen auf der Flasche und ziehen Sie in Erwägung, vorher Ihren Hausarzt zu konsultieren, um eine mögliche Vitamin-D-Toxizität zu vermeiden.
Referenzen
Cleveland Professional. (2019, October 16). Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d–vitamin-d-deficiency
Felchner, C. & Feichter, M. (2019, October 3). Vitamin D deficiency. NetDoctor. Retrieved on June 2, 2022, from https://www.netdoktor.de/laborwerte/vitamin-d/lack/
Felchner, C. & Feichter, M. (2022, May 31). Vitamin D. NetDoctor. Retrieved on June 2, 2022, from https://www.netdoktor.de/laborwerte/vitamin-d/
healthy.bund.de. (2020, December 17). Vitamin D deficiency: cause, symptoms, treatment. Retrieved on June 2, 2022, from https://gesund.bund.de/vitamin-d-lack#prevention
Warneck, L. (2017, December 14). Warum Vitamin D so wichtig ist! DW.COM. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.dw.com/de/warum-vitamin-d-so-important-ist/a-41792161
