When a low vitamin D value requires pills depends on personal circumstances. Healthy, active people hardly benefit from vitamin D supplements (more on this in the report Supplements for adults mostly unnecessary). However, they can be useful for certain risk groups:
– These include people over the age of 65. Because in many people of this age, the ability of the skin to form vitamin D is reduced.
– Even those who are younger and for example due to illness or because of the need for care rarely gets outside in the fresh air, can resort to vitamin D preparations after consulting a doctor. Under these conditions, the Stiftung Warentest classifies vitamin D preparations as suitable for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
– Also BabiesChildren who need protection from direct sunlight in the first year of life and whose body’s ability to produce vitamin D itself is not yet fully developed should be given vitamin D supplements to prevent rickets. In our test of vitamin D preparations for infants and children, you can read how high the preparations should be dosed, up to what age parents should give them and which preparations are suitable for premature babies as well as infants and toddlers.
– Candidates for vitamin D supplements are too Women who veil their bodies outside of their own four walls – for cultural or religious reasons.
– people with dark skinwho – unlike in more southern latitudes, for example – cannot produce enough vitamin D in central and northern Europe with less sun.
– Also in certain diseases can medically prescribed Vitamin D pills can be useful: Small bowel diseases can impair the absorption of fat-soluble vitamin D from the intestine. Chronic liver disease, renal insufficiency or weakness of the parathyroid glands can make it necessary to prescribe special forms of vitamin D. In addition, certain medications such as antiepileptics can accelerate the breakdown of the biologically active form of vitamin D and thus lead to a deficiency.