According to the industry organization Swedish Self-Care, sales of vitamin D have reached record levels.
One of the reasons is believed to be the recent claims about a link between vitamin D deficiency and a severe illness in covid-19.
- There is so much to suggest that vitamin D deficiency could be the reason why you suffer severely, says Mats Humble who is a psychiatrist and researcher.
Pulls too large gears
But this is a reasoning that lacks scientific support.
- You pull very large gears on connections that you can find in some studies.
It is not based on evidence, that much I can say, says Håkan Melhus, professor of clinical pharmacology.
He believes that there is a superstition about vitamin D and alleged links to everything from covid-19 to cancer and mental illness.
- You will find many studies with a connection between low vitamin D levels and various different problems and diseases.
But when you then do randomized studies, you do not see the effects, says Melhus.
No sales stop
SVT has mapped several Swedish-sold products that contain higher levels of vitamin D than what the European Food Safety Authority considers to be safe for daily intake.
The companies that sell these products believe that they are not dangerous.
Nor does their industry organization Svensk eigenvård, which announces that it will not be relevant to encourage companies to stop selling these products.
The National Food Administration warns
But the Food Market wants to raise a warning finger.
- You should be aware of the risks of taking such high doses.
There are also no extra health benefits from doing so, says Bettina Julin at the National Food Administration.