Vitamin D is especially important in the cold season

Vitamin D in the cold season: Apothekerkammer Bremen recommends examination at the doctor
Many people know this: they now feel knocked off in winter, tired, forgetful and prone to depression. However, it is not the weather in Bremen that is at fault, but in many cases a deficiency of vitamin D. "About 80 percent of all living in Germany have a poor vitamin D value in winter," says Richard Klämbt, President of the Pharmacists Bremen. But you can do something about a lack.

In the cold season we often feel rather sickly, the darkness and cold do the rest, that many people easily get into a depressive mood. However, very few people think about having their vitamin D value examined by the family doctor. "Permanent fatigue, susceptibility to infection and bad mood can be at too low a value," explains Klämbt. A good normal value is 35-60 ng / ml or 80-150 nmol / l. Everything below indicates a deficiency, with a value below 20 ng / ml or below 50 nmol / l is called a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is abundant, e.g. in fatty fish (salmon, herring etc.), eggs, butter and cheese. (Image: bit24 / fotolia.com)

Ensure adequate vitamin D supply
Vitamin D belongs to the group of fat-soluble vitamins and is synthesized in the human body with the help of UVB radiation. According to the Robert Koch Institute, every person in whom the body's own production of vitamin D works flawlessly is adequately supplied with vitamin D in the sunny months if he or she is outdoors regularly. Things are different in the darker months of October to March: Here, the sun is too deep and seems too rare for the body to use its radiation to generate enough vitamin D.

Theoretically, the necessary amount of vitamin D can also be absorbed through the diet, although it is only very slightly present in foods. Most vitamin D is found in fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon or herring. In addition, egg yolk, liver and some edible mushrooms contain the vitamin. To ingest a helpful amount of vitamin D through your diet, however, you would need to eat more than a kilo of high-fat fish three to five times a week. It is therefore more advantageous for the figure to take a high-quality vitamin D preparation from the pharmacy in individual doses.

Professional advice before taking it important
In order to determine the current vitamin D level and the required dose to be taken by a corresponding preparation, a blood test should be carried out at the doctor. "We recommend advice from the doctor or pharmacist before resorting to vitamin supplements. An overdose or a detrimental composition of the preparations may have adverse health effects, "warns Richard Klämbt. Pregnant women should follow the recommendations of their gynecologist.