'Checking vitamin D levels is beneficial for everyone'
Author: Chandy Rodgers
Vitamin D is vital for the health of your bones, immune system, mental health and more. Therefore, understanding what Vitamin D is, how to reduce your risk factors and how to test your levels is really important for everyone. By the end of this series of blog posts you will learn:
When to Check Your Vitamin D Levels
Checking vitamin D levels is beneficial for everyone. The best times to test are at the end of summer, when levels should be at their highest, and at the end of winter, when they are naturally lower, having used up stored reserves.
It is especially important to check your Vitamin D levels if you are showing symptoms of a deficiency. Symptoms of a Vitamin D deficiency include:
Fatigue
Muscle or bone discomfort
Frequent illnesses
Slow wound healing
Low mood &/or SAD (seasonal affective disorder)
These signs can be subtle or overlap with other conditions, so testing is key to identifying if vitamin D deficiency might be a contributory factor.
Vitamin D is fat soluble and can be stored within your fatty tissues (adipose tissues). This is great as your body is able to build up a Vitamin D store during the summer months and your body can make use of this during the winter months. However, if you were to take a high dose Vitamin D supplement for many months this can lead to excessive levels of Vitamin D within your body (Vitamin D from sunlight or diet doesn’t pose this risk). Excessive levels of Vitamin D can have negative health consequences and is therefore something you want to avoid. It is therefore important to test your Vitamin D levels before taking any form of Vitamin D supplementation.
How to Check Your Vitamin D Levels
The most accurate way to measure vitamin D levels is through a blood test. This is an inexpensive test that can be done at home with a simple finger-prick blood sample. Below is the At Home Vitamin D Test Kit that we recommend and is used by health practitioners within the UK.
The BetterYou At Home Vitamin D Test Kit comes with everything you need to check your Vitamin D levels. Read the instructions carefully before starting the test and it is important to note that you should ideally stop taking any Vitamin D supplementation 4-6 weeks prior to taking the test. If you have been prescribed Vitamin D by your healthcare practitioner, please check with them first before stopping supplementation.
Here are some helpful tips:
Take the test first thing in the morning before you have eaten anything.
Drink lots of water at least 30 minutes before taking the test.
Shake your hand around or do some star jumps to get your blood pumping around your body.
Run your hand under warm water.
If you are really struggling to get enough blood to come out, you may want to have a warm bath or shower prior to taking the test.
Prick your finger on your non-dominate hand (e.g. if you are right handed, prick your left hand).
Prick your middle or ring finger, on the side, a couple of mm below your nail (see image below). This is where you will feel less sensitivity but still have good blood flow.
When selecting your free Vitamin D supplement from BetterYou opt for one containing Vitamin K2 (unless you are taking any medications, in which case please check with your pharmacist first as Vitamin K can interact with certain medications). Vitamin D and K2 work together to ensure that calcium is directed out of your arteries and into your bones, where it helps to improve bone density.
Send off your test in the pre-paid envelope and await your test results that will be sent via email within 10 working days.
If you suspect you have a Vitamin D deficiency it is important that you consult your primary healthcare provider (GP) or a Nutritional Therapist. They will help to properly interpret your results and discuss the next steps. Check out our Practitioner Directory to find a healthcare practitioner.
Click on the button below to learn 'How to increase your Vitamin D levels'.
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