The “sun vitamin” vitamin D can easily be overdosed. Especially with high-dose drops and tablets, which can be ordered today on the Internet, caution is advised.
What dose of vitamin D is recommended?
Various organizations have therefore given dosage recommendations.
Recommendation of the German Society for Nutrition DGE:
- Infants: 400 IU*
- Children, adolescents and adults: 800 IU
IU = International units
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) sets the following daily maximum values :
- Infants: 1,000 IU
- Children: 2,000 IU
- Adolescents (from 11 years): 4,000 IU
- Adults: 4,000 IU
So the recommended vitamin D dose varies greatly. If you want to be sure to optimally cover your vitamin D needs, you should have your family doctor determine the blood value.
To convert the international units of vitamin D into micrograms (μg), divide IU by 40.
Conversion Vitamin D
Here are some examples of the conversion of international units into grams or micrograms (μg):
- 400 IU ≙ 10 μg
- 4000 IU ≙ 100 μg
- 200 IU ≙ 5 μg
- 2000 IU ≙ 50 μg
One μg is one millionth of a gram, i.e. a very small amount. Especially with liquid preparations with high dosages of up to 5,000 IU per drop, overdoses are very easy, which is why extreme caution and adherence to the dosage instructions is recommended.
Finding the right dosage of vitamin D
Higher doses are only recommended after a blood test and then as a “shock therapy”, i.e. only if an extreme deficiency is to be compensated quickly. In this case, the unique, very high vitamin D dosage of over 20,000 IU ensures that the vitamin D stores in the liver and muscles are replenished.
The vitamin is then available to the body over a longer period of time to properly develop bone structure and immune system.
Vitamin D and other Supplements Against Infections
In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a lively discussion has arisen about the benefits of vitamin D for the immune system and for warding off severe corona courses. Skeptics of the Corona policy point out that there is an imbalance between fundamental rights cuts and health education.
Vitamin D in combination with other trace elements, in particular vitamin K2, magnesium, vitamin C and zinc, should have a clearly positive effect on the immune system, especially of older risk groups. In fact, health and nutrition advice plays virtually no role in coping with corona policy.
Conclusion: If in doubt, have the doctor prescribe
In healthy people who regularly move outdoors and eat a varied diet, a serious deficiency symptom is excluded. Then the moderate recommendations of the DGE are usually sufficient and harmless throughout the year.
Since not everyone has an active, nature-loving lifestyle, a vitamin D deficit is not uncommon in Germany and Europe. In winter, vitamin D production due to sunlight is lacking. And even in people in nursing homes, who have a high risk of severe courses, there is often a vitamin D deficiency.
In these cases, vitamin D supplementation should be particularly examined, for example by a blood test at the doctor, which determines the vitamin D level in the serum.