There are still relatively many Dutch people who have too little knowledge of vitamin D. There should be more attention to vitamin D, because vitamin D is indispensable in our body. This is evident from a recent study by the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
What about your vitamin D levels? take the test here .
The study
Their analysis was based on 25 previous studies that examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and survival rates for various cancers. This study examined a total of 17,000 patients. The study shows that patients with higher vitamin D levels have a higher survival rate for breast, prostate and colon cancer, increasing the survival rate. In addition, these researchers also say that vitamin D plays a crucial role in recovery for patients with leukemia, melenoma and Merkel cell carcinoma (skin cancer).
Why vitamin D?
Vitamin D is essential for the body's absorption of calcium and phosphorus. These are two minerals needed to maintain healthy bones. Researchers also say vitamin D binds to proteins (also called vitamin D receptors). These cells are active throughout your body. You can get vitamin D into your body in two natural ways. First, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. This is true for about 85%. The other 15% comes from food, including fish, milk and eggs.
Source: CBS News, sundays.com
What else is Vitamin D important for?
Vitamin D levels have also been shown to be linked to:
- Osteoporosis
- Back pain
- joint diseases
- Dental problems
- Infectious diseases (from flu to tuberculosis)
- Cardiovascular diseases
- High blood pressure
- Autoimmune diseases
- MS
- Diabetes
- Depression, mood
- Pregnancy
- Preeclampsia
- ADHD in the child
How high should your vitamin D levels be?
- At 80 the value is good
- Optimum is between 100 and 120
- At a blood value above 250 vitamin D becomes toxic, because it is a fat-soluble vitamin.
How can you increase your vitamin D levels?
The recommendation is to take 2,000 IU (international units) daily.
You can get this from sunlight, food and supplementation.
Sunlight must be above 3, however, for your body to be able to make vitamin d.
Going out in the sun for 20 minutes will yield as much as 10,000 to 20,000 IU. The excess is broken down by your body. The problem is that sun strength of more than 3 is almost non-existent in the Netherlands from October to May.
Vitamin D you get with food from fish and margarine.
2 herrings a day provide 1600 IU. 100 grams of salmon 450 IU.
To get blood value 40 to 80, however, you need to take 1600 to 2600 IU a day!!!
Thus, proper vitamin D levels in the Netherlands can usually only be obtained through dietary supplements during the period from October to May.
What to do when vitamin d3 rashes are too low?
the result is given in the unit: nmol/l
below 25 nmol/l there is a vitamin d3 deficiency. that there is a severe deficiency, contact your doctor for this, he will give, for example, an ampoule that works better than the supplements you can buy yourself at the drugstore.
low concentration your result is between 25 - 75 nmol/l
normal concentration your rash is above 75 nmol/l (80 is wonderful, preferably higher)
intoxication : > 250 nmol/l or one is undergoing special therapy.
If you want to measure your vitamin D levels, you can do so with these tests;
- The National Health Check-up €99.
- Vitamin Combi with vitamin D, B12 and free folic acid €59.
- Vitamin D 25 -OH €25
For more vitamin and mineral testing, visit:
Patrick Veldstra
at 29 Oct 2020Maaike
at 29 Apr 2022