2024-04-10 16:00:59
A vitamin D deficiency can remain undetected for a long time. But how long does it actually take until it is fixed? We asked an expert.
Vitamin D is involved in many important processes in the body and is the only vitamin that can be produced through sunlight. Among other things, it is required for a normal immune system and for muscles, bones and teeth, so a vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious symptoms. But when does a defect exist and how long does it take until it is remedied?
The answer in brief:
- The duration depends on body weight and the severity of the deficiency. As a general guideline: 10,000 IU increases vitamin D levels by 1 ng/ml. If you want to balance your vitamin D value by 15 ng/ml, in theory you would need 15 days with a high dosage until the deficiency is eliminated. Which dosage makes sense should be discussed with a doctor.
Correct vitamin D deficiency: Duration depends on serum level
According to that Robert Koch Institute (RKI) A deficiency exists “when vitamin D is missing in the body over a longer period of time and clinically relevant symptoms occur”. In children, for example, bone growth disorders and even rickets can occur.
Deficiency is measured by serum levels of vitamin D in the blood. However, according to the RKI, this is subject to strong fluctuations. A low serum level does not necessarily mean that there is a long-term vitamin D deficiency. According to the RKI, 30.2 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 79 have a vitamin D deficiency. You therefore have a serum level below 12 ng/ml. The Enders laboratory speaks of a severe deficiency from 10 ng/ml. Here you will find an overview of when the care is considered suboptimal:
25 (OH)D in ng/ml
possible effects
<12
Vitamin D Deficiency
Risk for:
- Bone disease in children and adolescents (rickets)
- Bone formation disorders (osteomalacia)
- Porous bones (osteoporosis)
12 bis <20 Suboptimale Versorgung 20 bis <50 Ausreichend für die Knochen und die allgemeine Gesundheit ≥50
Possible oversupply, with potential consequences for health
Risk for:
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Kidney stones
- Oversupply of calcium
Those: RKI and Institute of Medicine
How long does it take for a vitamin D deficiency to be resolved?
According to the medical encyclopedia MSD Manual, vitamin D deficiency is treated with dietary supplements. Doctors usually administer high-dose preparations over a period of about a month, after which the amount is reduced. However, it is difficult to determine the duration as a general rule.
The dose depends on how severe the deficiency is. The lower the level in the blood, the longer it takes to correct the deficiency. According to Catri Tegtmeier, chief physician in the psychosomatics/psychotherapy and trauma therapy department Wicker Clinic in Bad Wildungen, the length of time it takes to compensate for a vitamin D deficiency also depends on your weight.
According to its own statement, it provides a “rough guide” to how long it might take to correct a deficiency: “10,000 IU increases by approx. 1 ng/ml. If there is a deficiency of, for example, 15 ng/ml, you need approx. 15 Days to compensate for the deficit with a higher dosage. The higher the body weight, the more vitamin D is needed and it takes longer for a deficit to be compensated for.” The dose is therefore calculated individually for each patient based on the initial value and body weight.
The Wicker Clinic treats, among other things, patients with depression who often have a vitamin D deficiency.
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