Ingredient information: Vitamin D
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D refers to steroid compounds with antirachitic activity:
- ergocalciferol or vitamin D2
- cholecalciferol or vitamin D3
Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins (soluble in fats).
What are the properties of vitamin D?
It is relatively fragile and degrades rapidly from light, oxygen, and acids.
Vitamin D3 is found primarily in animal products and vitamin D2 in plant-based foods. The main dietary sources are oily fish and egg yolks.
Vitamin D is hypercalcemic and plays an essential role in calcium and phosphate metabolism and is also involved in other physiological processes:
- In the intestine : it leads to an increase in calcium absorption
- In bone : several mechanisms exist depending on the vitamin D metabolite. To simplify, the two main ones are an indirect mineralization action by increasing blood calcium levels and an increase in mineralization by action on osteoblasts.
- In the kidney : it leads to a modest increase in calcium reabsorption.
Our body is capable of synthesizing vitamin D, but this synthesis requires exposure to ultraviolet (UVB), which is almost impossible in winter.
Overall, the French population has an insufficient intake of vitamin D.
The recommended intake of vitamin D was 5µg/day (200IU) and has recently been increased to 15µg/day (600IU).
Vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, among other things.
What are the health claims related to vitamin D?
EFSA authorises the use of health claims for products containing vitamin D.
They must provide a minimum of 0.75µg of vitamin D per 100g, 100ml or per portion.
Products meeting these criteria can claim to contribute to:
- to intestinal absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus
- to maintain normal blood calcium levels
- to the normal growth of children's bones
- to the maintenance of the normal state of bones
- to maintain the normal state of the muscles
- to maintain the normal condition of the teeth
- to maintaining the normal state of the immune system
- to cell division
And what about Phytocea?
You can find vitamin D3 in ReNacre , among other things.
ReNacre is a food supplement designed to help maintain bone density, specially formulated for osteoporosis.
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Contraindications and side effects
Vitamin D accumulates in the body and has an upper safety limit; excessive consumption of vitamin D is toxic. The safety limit is set at 4000 IU.
It is therefore important to respect the recommended doses.
Symptoms of an overdose (which may appear at daily doses exceeding 50,000 IU) of vitamin D are:
- nausea
- headaches
- muscle pain
- bone pain
- heart rhythm disorders
- tissue calcifications
It is recommended not to take vitamin D supplements while undergoing treatment with medication for heart rhythm disorders.
Taking vitamin D at doses above 2000 IU should be done under medical prescription.
Vitamin D is not a miracle molecule; it is sometimes misused in excessively high doses. If you are unsure about your vitamin D needs and the appropriate amount to consume, we recommend consulting your doctor or a registered dietitian.