Do you know your vitamin D status? ☀️
25-hydroxy vitamin D measured in the blood most accurately reflects vitamin D status. 💉 The optimal vitamin D range to prevent the majority of diseases is 100-150 nmol/L (or 40-60 ng/mL).
As we get less exposure to UVB rays from the sun during the winter, our vitamin D levels typically drop 📉. We can also have deficient vitamin D levels all year round and throughout the summer months. Vitamin D levels vary according to the season, sun exposure, use of sunscreen, showering/bathing, genetics, age, diet, skin pigmentation, liver, spleen and kidney health, illness, parathyroid hormone, as well as levels of nutrients (like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin K).
Vitamin D is a hormone that has so many vital functions in the body. It binds to vitamin D receptors (VDRs) which are found in all sorts of tissues in the body and regulates more than 50 genes!
Optimal vitamin D levels are important for:
☀️ immune health & inflammation
☀️ mood & energy
☀️ brain function
☀️ skin health
☀️ fertility & pregnancy
☀️ lung function
☀️ thyroid health
☀️ blood sugar control
☀️ muscles, bones & teeth
☀️ weight management
☀️ sleep quality
☀️ heart health & heart attack prevention
☀️ cancer prevention & cancer survival
☀️ chronic disease prevention
Health Canada defines the lowest cutoff as 50 nmol/L and 1/3rd of Canadians had levels below this! 😮 It’s important to know where you stand so that you can make dietary and lifestyle changes or consider supplementation depending on your status. Always talk to your health practitioner about supplementing with vitamin D as it should be individualized!
Naturopathic Doctors can order blood tests to check your 25-hydroxy vitamin D. ✍🏼 Test don’t guess!
Sources: Disease Incidence Prevention by Serum (25)OH D Level. (2018). Retrieved from https://grassrootshealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/dip_with_numbers_8-24-12.pdf Pludowski, P., Holick, M., Pilz, S., Wagner, C., Hollis, B., & Grant, W. et al. (2013). Vitamin D effects on musculoskeletal health, immunity, autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, fertility, pregnancy, dementia and mortality—A review of recent evidence. Autoimmunity Reviews, 12(10), 976-989. Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians. (2018). Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-x/2013001/article/11727-eng.htm Wang, H., Chen, W., Li, D., Yin, X., Zhang, X., Olsen, N., & Zheng, S. (2017). Vitamin D and Chronic Diseases. Aging And Disease, 8(3), 346. Wang, Y., Zhu, J., & DeLuca, H. (2012). Where is the vitamin D receptor?. Archives Of Biochemistry And Biophysics, 523(1), 123-133.