Vitamin D: Are we all deficient?

Martin Ducret talks to us today about vitamin D, a vitamin that needs sunlight to be synthesized.

Doctor Martin Ducret, journalist at Doctor’s Daily Today we are going back over some concepts to understand, in relation to our body’s needs for Vitamin D. A vitamin that needs sunlight to be synthesized.

franceinfo: First of all, what is vitamin D used for?

Martin Ducret: This vitamin is essential for bone health, for good growth and bone strength. Vitamin D also plays a role in the immune system, muscle tone and the cardiovascular system.

80% of vitamin D is produced by the sun’s radiation on our skin during the warm months, from April to October, precisely by UVB, this category of ultraviolet. The remaining 20% ​​comes from food, it can be found in the famous cod liver oil, in oily fish like salmon, tuna, sardines or even egg yolk and butter. It is important to know that almost half of the French population is deficient in vitamin D because they do not get enough exposure to the sun during the hot months.

20 minutes a day in the sun are necessary to have a good stock of vitamin D!Moreover, some people are particularly at risk of developing a deficiency, which is why they must be supplemented with vitamin D throughout the year, explained Jean-Claude Souberbielle, who is a biologist and vitamin D specialist.

This is the case for people who do not expose themselves to the sun, those who are overweight, those with dark skin, people over 65, or those suffering from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. In addition to these people, it is recommended to systematically supplement children with vitamin D, throughout their growth, pregnant women and post-menopausal women.

And what are the consequences of a vitamin D deficiency?

In the case of a profound deficiency, bone mineralization is poor and the bone becomes deformed; this is called rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In the case of moderate deficiency, the most frequent case, numerous studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation can, at a minimum, reduce the risk of pulmonary infection, mortality from cancer, or even the risk of fracture linked to osteoporosis. On the other hand, taking vitamin D when stores are full has not shown any beneficial health effects.

I would like to point out that a blood test is not systematically necessary to detect a vitamin D deficiency, moreover the test has not been reimbursed by social security since 2013, except for very specific cases. It is therefore up to your doctor to assess whether you are at risk of deficiency, depending on your profile, he will be able to prescribe vitamin D.