Definition
One speaks of a Vitamin D deficiency if the physiological need for Vitamin D cannot be sufficiently covered. As standard value a Vitamin D mirror of 30 μg/l is accepted. Straight one in Germany lies the Vitamin D mirror however far under 20μg/l. Values between 10-20μg/l are referred to as a manifest vitamin D deficiency. Values <5μg/l indicate a severe vitamin D deficiency which is associated with rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Introduction
Vitamin D is the only vitamin that the body can produce itself. By sunbeams, particularly by UV-B radiation, the human body is able to produce its own vitamin D. Since Vitamin D is unfortunately only in very few food, like e.g. in salmon and innards, the sunlight often represents the only possibility, from where humans can receive their Vitamin D. It is therefore not surprising that many people suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, especially in the dark winter months. Especially in children this can lead to devastating disorders.
Also Solariumbesuche, in which predominantly UV-A, instead of UV-B radiation is used, cannot adjust the Vitamin D need. It is assumed that there are world-wide approx. 1 billion humans, who suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency.
Only inhabitants approximately around the equator border exhibit normal Vitamin D mirror. This is probably due to the high solar radiation that prevails there all year round. A severe vitamin D deficiency causes demineralization of the bones, which often leads to osteoporosis.
The result of osteoporosis is fragile, unstable bones, which can lead to fractures (fractures). People in northern countries such as Scandinavia and Canada in particular are unable to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin D due to less prolonged exposure to the sun and therefore suffer particularly frequently from osteoporosis and the fractures it causes. A study has shown that in Oslo and Stockholm there were 3,500 femoral neck fractures for every 100,000 women. In Singapore, by contrast, there were only 300, which is only about a tenth of those affected in Scandinavia.
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