There are many vitamins we need to stay in good health. It’s a carefully-maintained balance that most of us don’t do correctly. One of the most overlooked vitamins is Vitamin D. It is crucial for physical, mental, and genetic-related health and is essential for our daily lives. Below we will go over how we get it and why Vitamin D testing is so important!
What does Vitamin D do in the body?
Many people of all ages are Vitamin D deprived, particularly in winter. But this deprivation can have significant impacts on short-term and long-term health. Let’s start at the beginning and examine what Vitamin D does for the body.
The biggest thing that Vitamin D does, particularly for seniors, is provide calcium absorption. This is both in the gut and throughout the body (1). Since calcium can’t absorb on its own, Vitamin D is the required “transportation” for your body’s health.
Vitamin D also helps keep your bone mineralization in proper form. This is done by keeping phosphorus levels at the right amounts for bone health and strength (1). If you don’t have proper mineralization, your bones can become brittle and even misshapen (1). Weak bones can increase your fracture risk as well (3).
The other main highlight of Vitamin D is that it can help reduce inflammation and promote cell growth (1). Among other benefits, this helps you enjoy better immunity (1). This is why keeping your Vitamin D levels high is essential! This is very important in the wintertime with the flu and other illnesses.
Is Vitamin D a preventative vitamin?
All vitamins have essential duties to protect and prevent many conditions. Vitamin D links to susceptibility to psychiatric and neurological conditions and diseases (2). These include Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Autism (2). One of the strongest links is between low Vitamin D levels and a high risk of multiple sclerosis (2).
Many have a family history or other predisposition to these health conditions. Those affected should do their part to keep their levels at recommended levels! Vitamin D testing can play a huge role in understanding what your body needs.
The importance of Vitamin D testing
You can get ahead of your health by considering at-home Vitamin D testing. This quick blood test can give you results in 10 minutes to help you take charge of your dietary needs. The results will tell you whether your current Vitamin D levels are too low, okay, or too high.
The at-home test is the ideal starting point to see what you need. With this data, you can reach out to your GP and talk to them about a supplement. You can also get a more personalized approach to your health profile about your Vitamin D levels.
How does Vitamin D work?
Vitamin D is mostly known as the “sunshine vitamin.” The body goes through two chemical processes to put Vitamin D to work to absorb it from sun exposure. The first is in the liver, and the second is in the kidney (1). This chemical process requires regular exposure to sunshine and eating Vitamin D-rich foods.
While eating a diet rich in Vitamin D is always a great idea, getting direct sunlight daily is the best way to boost your level.
Often, GPs will prescribe or recommend taking a Vitamin D supplement. This is whether you can or can not get your recommended intake from sunshine or other food sources. Vitamin D is one of the most common supplements!
The Vitamin D crisis
As you have learned, maintaining proper levels of Vitamin D is essential. Yet, it is frighteningly common to be deficient in Vitamin D and not even know it since symptoms can be straightforward to overlook. Some common Vitamin D deficiency symptoms include bone pain, muscle aches, and fatigue (3). As you can see, these are also “symptoms” of having a busy, active life!
There are also many risk factors for having critically low Vitamin D levels. These include being a senior citizen, being overweight or obese, and having kidney or liver disease (3). Maintaining healthy Vitamin D levels requires a supplement and fortified food and drink in these cases.
Your health profile matters
You’ll want to focus on Vitamin D as an essential focal point when maintaining your health. Understanding what it does, how it works, and how vital Vitamin D testing helps you see why it matters so much. With this information, you can do your part to create a strong, dependable health profile for your best and healthiest future!
LINKS
1 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
2 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nan.12020
3 https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/vitamin-d-test/