Published on March 31, 2023
Plus, Results from Our Poll: What did our followers say about their personal experience with their doctors on the subject of vitamin D testing?
If you haven’t measured your vitamin D level this winter yet, you may want to consider testing it now. March (just after winter) is the time of year when vitamin D levels are at their lowest and the risk of deficiency is highest. Those who are not supplementing or using a UVB device are at especially high risk for vitamin D deficiency. To make sure you and those around you are getting enough vitamin D to prevent deficiency, testing vitamin D levels is an essential step.
How Likely Are You Deficient?
An article on the front page of the Fargo Forum earlier this week featured Dr. Beth Sanford, as she discussed the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency during this time of the year, especially for people who live in more northern latitudes. Dr. Sanford collaborated with GrassrootsHealth to initiate the North Dakota Project last winter. The project found that, out of 49 individuals living in the Fargo metro area, nearly half had vitamin D levels below 20 ng/ml, and 1 out of 5 were below 10 ng/ml!
The short news clip below is an example of one doctor in Baltimore who tests all of her patients for vitamin D, and finds that most of them are low. Dr. Kathryn Boling recommends that all doctors should test vitamin D levels for their patients regularly – something GrassrootsHealth has been educating about since its founding.
Will Your Doctor Measure Your Vitamin D?
In our last newsletter, we asked “What is your personal experience with your doctor on the subject of vitamin D/testing?”
- 26% said their doctor tested their vitamin D and educated them on their level and intake (great!)
- 57% said their doctor tested their vitamin D upon request
- 17% said their doctor declined their request to test their vitamin D or said it was not important
While several of you wrote in to tell us about how your doctor was not supportive of measuring your vitamin D level, or that they thought a vitamin D level in the 40-60 ng/ml range was too high, it was great news to hear that more doctors seemed to be accepting and knowledgeable about vitamin D and testing! This was not the case when GrassrootsHealth was founded in 2007, and in fact, it was one of the reasons the D*action study was initiated – to give individuals easy access to affordable, convenient vitamin D testing. Over 18,000 individuals world-wide have taken it upon themselves to measure and track their vitamin D levels as participants in the D*action study.
Take steps for your own vitamin D health by ensuring optimal levels – for your family and loved ones as well – by measuring at home today.
Enroll & Measure Your Vitamin D Level Here
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?
The only way to know is to test your levels! Testing versus blind supplementation is essential to know for sure if what you are taking is the right amount for you. Once you test your vitamin D (and other levels) to know where you are NOW, you can account for any upcoming changes in lifestyle over the coming months and adjust your intake to reach (or maintain) your targets.
Measure your:
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium PLUS Elements
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- hsCRP
- HbA1c
- TSH
- Type 1 Diabetes Autoantibodies
Did you know that each of the above can be measured at home using a simple blood spot test? As part of our ongoing research project, you can order your home blood spot test kit to get your levels, followed by education and steps to take to help you reach your optimal target levels. Start by enrolling and ordering your kit to measure each of the above important markers, and make sure you are getting enough of each to support better mood and wellbeing!
Create your custom home test kit today. Take steps to improve the status of each of these measurements to benefit your overall health. With measurement you can then determine how much is needed and steps to achieve your goals. You can also track your own intakes, symptoms and results to see what works best for YOU.
Enroll in D*action and Test Your Levels Today!
How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?
Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!
STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health
STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study
STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there
STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)
