I recently ran my own vitamin D test. There is a simple, accurate test now available that only requires a finger prick and 3 drops of blood. It makes it easy to get an accurate assessment of your vitamin D level. The recommended level is 30-50. My number was 45. Right where I want it to be.
What I want you to know is that I was out in the sun regularly without any sunscreen. And I took 5000 IU of vitamin D per day all summer. Everyone is a unique metabolic individual. But if you’re not taking a high quality vitamin D supplement and getting out in the sun without sunscreen, there’s a good chance you are deficient in vitamin D. And now, as we head into winter, adequate sun exposure is next to impossible.
A lot of people, maybe you’re one of them, think that a little sun exposure is all you need to make plenty of vitamin D. That just might not be the case. I immediately think of two people. They’re both gardeners and spent quite a lot of time out in the sun in shorts and short sleeve shirts. They were shocked to learn that their vitamin D levels were low. One was at 14. The other at 20. For them, sun exposure alone just wasn’t enough.
Vitamin D is important for bone health, cardiovascular health, and immune function. I recently read the results of a study that indicated you can reduce your risk of getting Covid by as much as 20% by optimizing your vitamin D status. In addition, if you do happen to get sick, your symptoms will likely be milder with optimal vitamin D.
You might be thinking, “why do I need a test? I’ll just supplement”. Great question! The trouble is that there are negative effects of having too much vitamin D. Too little is a problem. Too much is a problem, too. What you want is just the right amount. Doing the test is the only sure way to know.
There’s another person I know. She is a big proponent of nutritional supplements. Knowing that vitamin D is important, she was taking quite a lot. You know the thinking. “if a little is good, more is better”. Her test results came back at 100. That’s well over the recommended range. It is possible to reach vitamin D toxicity.
I encourage everyone to get their vitamin D level tested. It’s a simple, cost-effective strategy for maintaining health and wellbeing. Ask your health care provider about it. If you don’t have a provider or they don’t offer a vitamin D test, I’m happy to help. Give me a call at 651-777-9156. I’ll get you set up with a test and get you on track for optimal health.
