Australia is Rapid increase in vitamin D testing Similar trends have been reported among surrounding adults. world. GP is currently prompted Do not test for vitamin D unnecessarily.
So when is vitamin D deficiency a potential concern, and when should you get your levels tested?
How much vitamin D do you need?
Vitamin D is not just a nutrient; when metabolized in the body, hormone. There are receptors for this hormone throughout our bodies, which help regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism.
Vitamin D has many other roles, including helping with immune defenses and contributing to health. dna repair and cell differentiation.
We get most of our vitamin D from the sun. A chemical in our skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted to vitamin D when it comes into contact with UVB radiation from the sun.
While also taking vitamin D through our diet, this contribution is relatively small. Without supplements, it is difficult to get much more than one-third of the vitamin D you need each day through your diet.
Read more: Curious kids: How does the sun help your body produce vitamin D?
The nutritional status of vitamin D is usually measured By blood test. This checks your calcidiol (calcifediol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D) concentration, which reflects your average intake from sunlight and diet over the past 3-4 weeks.
of Current recommendations This means you should aim for at least 50nmol/L (20ng/mL) by the end of winter.
However, there is one problem with vitamin D testing. change Concentrations measured between laboratories and analyzes vary, and whether a deficiency is considered to exist depends on the testing method used.
Pexels/Asim Alunamat
Doctors don’t always agree about deficiencies. If the levels are very low, your doctor may recommend supplements (and possibly follow-up testing), but some people believe that even relatively high levels are inappropriate.
This is all understandable, as research in this area is still developing and we know that low concentrations do not always cause any symptoms.
Why should you avoid vitamin D deficiency?
Severe vitamin D deficiency over a long period of time causes bone tissue to become soft, leading to diseases such as rickets (in children) and osteomalacia (in adults).
However, avoiding low concentrations may be a good idea in the following cases: many aspects of healththere is consistent evidence suggesting benefits. Infection Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Randomized trials have also provided lower evidence. cancer and all cause death Although it is taken as a daily supplement, its effects may be limited to those who do not take enough supplements.
Who is at risk of deficiency?
Most of us do not need testing to know relatively well whether we are at risk for a clinically significant deficiency.
If it’s not the end of winter, and we regularly expose our skin to the sun outdoors for at least some time, and we don’t belong to certain high-risk groups, the level will be very low.
The main reasons for vitamin D deficiency are usually related to two things:
1. You don’t get enough vitamin D from sunlight exposure. Deficiency risk Might be expensive This service is for people who are confined to their homes and receive care, such as the elderly and people with disabilities. Carefully covering your skin at all times increases the risk of deficiency. modest cultural attire, and again dark skin pigmentation It is known to reduce vitamin D synthesis.
2. You have a chronic illness that changes your requirements. Drugs, such as anticonvulsants, used to treat epilepsy and conditions such as: liver and kidney diseases May interfere with vitamin D metabolism.Several digestive diseases may reduce the absorption of vitamin D from the diet, obesity The amount of vitamin D required increases, making it difficult for blood levels to rise.
Pexels/Pavel Danilik
Are you exposed to enough sunlight?
In Australia, it’s possible to get enough vitamin D from the sun. throughout the year. For many people living in the northern hemisphere, this is not the case.
For those living in the upper half of Australia, and for all of us during the summer, we as much as you need Expose your skin to the sun for a few minutes most days.
Your body can only produce a certain amount of vitamin D at any given time, so getting more sunlight than you need won’t help boost your vitamin D levels, but it will increase your risk of skin cancer.
Read more: Why you need more vitamin D in winter
Getting enough sunlight can be difficult during the winter months, especially if you spend your days cooped up indoors. Typically, the required exposure time increases to 2 to 3 hours per week in the winter. This is because exposure to sunlight can only help produce vitamin D if the UVB rays reach us at the right angle. Therefore, in winter you need to regularly spend time outside during the day and get vitamin D.
If you have concerns, have very dark skin, or are otherwise in a high-risk group, you may want to talk to your doctor.
In any case, taking a modest daily dose (1,000-2,000 IU) of vitamin D during the dark winter months is unlikely to cause any harm. may be beneficial.
Why is excess vitamin D testing important?
Without instructions, testing can cause unnecessary worry and promote a cascade of symptoms. Testing, prescription and imaging services something of low value.
Excessive testing is also a waste of medical resources. single test It costs about the same as a year’s worth of vitamin D supplements.
In many cases, you can reduce your risk of vitamin D deficiency by making relatively small changes to your lifestyle.
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