Vitamin D3 Deficiency - Know More!

Fat-soluble vitamin D is best known for supporting the metabolism of calcium. It helps your body absorb calcium from supplements and foods to support the maintenance of healthy bone cells. The best source of vitamin D3 is sunlight. Foods like egg yolk, fatty fish, dairy products – cheese and milk – and cereals are a great source of vitamin D.

In the past decades, spending too much time indoors combined with poor nutrition has led to the inadequacy of vital vitamin D in people of all ages.

How to Detect Vitamin D Deficiency

The most accurate way to check for vitamin D levels in the body is to undergo a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. The amount of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in your blood indicates how much of this essential vitamin your body has. The test can help determine if the levels of vitamin D are too low or too high.

How is the Test Performed

The test is performed by drawing a blood sample from a vein of your arm. Your healthcare provider will use a needle to draw out blood and send the sample to the laboratory to be tested for levels of vitamin D.

Evaluating Test Results

Depending on sex and age of the patient, as well as the method used for testing, 25-hydroxy vitamin D test results may indicate the following –

• Deficiency – below 12ng/mL
• Potential Deficiency – between 12ng/mL and 20ng/mL
• Normal – between 20ng/mL and 50ng/mL
• High – above 50ng/mL

Low vitamin D levels are often associated with signs of bone pain. Some studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, immune diseases, and even cancer.
Your doctor will most likely prescribe supplements and other treatment options if you are extremely deficient. Eating vitamin D-rich foods and being exposed to sunlight – provided you are protected against the harmful UV rays – can help stabilize your vitamin D3 levels.