Managing vitamin D levels is crucial; this essential nutrient protects your bones, immune system, and heart. Here’s how to keep your levels in the normal range.
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is an essential nutrient your body needs to flourish. However, keeping your levels where they should be is easier said than done. If you want to know the best ways to manage your vitamin D levels, we explain how to reliably raise or lower your intake below.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble hormone that helps your body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, two minerals crucial for bone health. But that isn’t vitamin D’s only role; it also boosts immune resistance, lowers inflammation, and promotes a strong, healthy heart.
Vitamin D deficiencies are common; almost half of all Americans have one. While most cases of vitamin D deficiency cause no symptoms, for some, it can result in fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, and depression. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, there are several ways you can boost your levels, including:
One natural way to boost your vitamin D levels is to spend time outside. Time in the sun exposes you to UV B radiation. Your body absorbs this radiation and converts it into previtamin D3, and then converts it into vitamin D3. Just 10 to 15 minutes in the sun every other day can keep your levels in check.
You can also start incorporating vitamin D-rich foods and drinks into your diet. Eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified milk, fortified orange juice, mushrooms, pork chops, salmon, sardines, and tuna will all provide a healthy dose.
If you have a deficiency, your doctor may recommend you take supplements. Supplements are one of the most convenient ways to manage your vitamin D levels, but you need to take them as instructed for the best results.
While it’s far more common to have a deficiency, you can also have a surplus of vitamin D. While a minor surplus poses no real risk, getting more than 4,000 IU per day is unhealthy and potentially dangerous. It’s rare to get too much vitamin D from the sun and food alone; most people with a surplus have it because they take supplements. Lowering your daily dose of vitamin D supplements, consuming less calcium, increasing vitamin K2 levels, and staying hydrated are all ways to lower your levels.
If you want to understand your vitamin D levels, consider using one of RxHomeTest’s vitamin D test kits. Our at-home kits accurately measure the levels of vitamin D in your blood. Just order your kit, collect your samples, ship them to our lab, and wait to receive your easy-to-understand, physician-reviewed results.
All About Vitamin D - a brief summary of the sunshine vitamin.
The Most Common Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency - learns the signs before you get tested.
Cardiovascular Disease and Vitamin D - understand the crucial role vitamin D plays in heart health.
CRP, Inflammation, and Risk of Heart Disease - C-reactive protein, Vitamin D & their role in inflammation.
