Under the spotlight at the beginning of the year after the tragic death of an infant treated with Uvestol D, a drug prescribed in case of deficiency - and just removed from the market as a precautionary measure - vitamin D it remains a substance essential to our good health. Explanations.
Vitamin D: a substance essential to the body
Vitamin D, which behaves like a hormone, plays a vital role in preventing rickets in children, and diseases such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia.
It would also have a positive effect on other diseases of the body such as influenza, diabetes, cancer, skin diseases ( psoriasis , urticaria), and even some mental diseases.
Regular, controlled exposure to the sun promotes vitamin D intake (synthesized from UVB radiation). This intake varies according to the physiology of each (ethnicity, allergies , deficiencies and availability of calcium). However, according to specialists, daily intake should be 10 mg per day for children and pregnant women and 5 mg per day for adults.
Where to find vitamin D in the diet?
Present in many foods including fat and fatty fish, vitamin D is consumed daily.
Halibut, carp, tuna, mackerel, salmon and cod oils are rich in vitamin D. It is advisable to consume salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, mackerel and trout to make the most of its benefits.
It is also found in margarine, butter , eggs, ham and some mushrooms.
Beware of overdose , which can cause some side effects (muscle and bone pain, heart rhythm disorders or kidney problems).
Anti-vitamin D deficiency drugs
Generally prescribed by the attending physician, especially during periods of low sunlight, medications that treat a vitamin D deficiency are available by prescription in pharmacy.
The latter are in the form of a single-dose ampoule or a flask whose liquid is taken by pipette. This is particularly the case of Uvestol D , an anti-deficiency medicine prescribed for children to ensure their proper development.
The latter, suspected to have caused the death of an infant in December 2016, was suspended from the market by the Ministry of Health on January 4, 2017. In question, not vitamin D but "the specific mode of administration of the product, "said Marisol Touraine, current Minister of Health.
