Frequently Asked Questions About Vitamin D

• Why Should I Test my Vitamin D Levels?

  Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread issue. According to a study performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), in 2005-2006, insufficient vitamin D levels were found in 41.6% of the 4495 individuals they sampled. The likelihood of deficiency was significantly greater in certain demographics, like the elderly. (View source here)

  Why is this the case? Simply put, most people just don't spend enough time in the sun. We are told to be wary of harmful solar radiation, but the sun's light is also what helps us refill our vitamin D stores.

  A vitamin D deficiency causes symptoms such as fatigue, digestive problems and headaches. In addition, a deficiency can be harmful to health in the long run. Among other things, it increases the risk of fractures and osteoporosis. In scientific studies, there is a correlation between diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and a vitamin D deficiency. Research also suggests that too little vitamin D could increase the risk of these diseases.

  It is therefore worthwhile for most people to check their vitamin D levels and optimize them if necessary. With the vitamin D test from cerascreen® you can determine your values - from home , anonymously, independently, and without having to wait at the doctor's office.

• Who should take the Vitamin D test?

  Because of the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, taking the test can be worthwhile for almost anyone, especially those in the northern United States with longer winter months and less sun exposure. At these latitudes it can be difficult to get sufficient sunlight to produce enough vitamin D for the whole year.

  For some people, the risk is increased. The test is particularly suitable for you if the following things apply:

  • You suffer from complaints such as chronic fatigue, headaches, muscle and bone pain or regular infections
  • You spend little time in sunlight
  • You suffer from intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease
  • You have an increased risk of osteoporosis
  • You are 60 years of age or older
  • You have darker skin (People with darker skin tones require more UV radiation to produce vitamin D.)
• How does the Vitamin D Test work?

  For the vitamin D test, use a lancet to draw a few drops of blood from your fingertip. Then send your blood sample on the dried blood card in a return envelope to our CLIA-certified partner laboratory, which will measure the concentration of 25- (OH) -D in your blood serum.

  The advantages of the dried blood method:
  You need significantly less blood for the test, the sample is very stable and the laboratory can also analyze your vitamin D metabolism , which allows us to make more precise recommendations for vitamin D supplements.

• What does the test report tell me?

  The vitamin D test tells you the concentration of 25- (OH) -D in your blood, in nanograms per milliliter. You will receive an assessment of your vitamin D level, and a breakdown of how that compares to a healthy supply. Here are some examples of the areas that many of the results fall into:

  • 11 to 30 nanograms per milliliter: Long-term vitamin D deficiency
  • 31 to 40 nanograms per milliliter: Sufficient vitamin D supply
  • 41 to 60 nanograms per milliliter: good and preventive vitamin D supply

  The results report also gives you instructions on how you can bring your values into a healthy range with the help of supplements.
• What recommendations will I get?

  The results report provides you with instructions on how you can bring your values into the desired range. This often involves taking vitamin D supplements.

  We give recommendations about how long and in what dosage you should be supplementing your vitamin D, and tell you how to keep your levels within the recommended range for the long term.
• What are the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency?

  A vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis, bone softening and fractures. Studies have also linked the deficiency to cardiovascular disease, depression, and certain types of cancer, among other things.

  A vitamin D deficiency manifests itself through rather easily overlooked symptoms, including:

  • Fatigue, exhaustion and irritability
  • Sleep disorders
  • Headache and back pain
  • Muscle weakness and musculoskeletal pain
  • Increased susceptibility to infection

  It is difficult to detect a deficiency - and precisely for this reason it is useful to check yoursupply with a vitamin D test somewhat regularly. If you know your vitamin D value, you can optimize it with vitamin D food supplements, for example.
• What do I need Vitamin D for?

  Vitamin D is a vitamin and a hormone at the same time. It supports numerous important functions and metabolic processes in our body. Some examples of the functions of vitamin D:

  • Formation of muscle fibers and muscle cells
  • Skeletal formation and bone mineralization
  • Absorption of calcium and phosphate in the intestine
  • Function of the heart muscle
  • Strengthening the immune system

  It is difficult to feel a deficiency - which is exactly why it is often useful to check the supply with a vitamin D test. Once you know your vitamin D level, you can optimize it - with vitamin D supplements, for example.
• Where does the body get Vitamin D?

  The human body can produce vitamin D itself, but it needs UV-B radiation from the sun. More precisely, we use sunlight to produce the prohormone cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which the body converts into the active form of vitamin D via the intermediate calcidiol (25-OH-vitamin D3).

  Experts recommend spending 5 to 25 minutes a day in sunlight so that the sun's rays hit around a quarter of the surface of your skin -for example the face, hands and parts of the arms and legs. But you should be careful - too much UV radiation increases the risk of skin cancer!

  The optimal time in the sun depends on the following factors:

  • Skin type: People with darker pigmentation need more sun to generate enough vitamin D.
  • Season: In winter, sunlight contains less UVB radiation and thus the body cannot produce las much vitamin D.
  • Time of day: If you are in the sun at noon, you produce more vitamin D because the UVB radiation is highest at this time.

  We can only cover a maximum of 10 to 20 percent of our daily needs with food, for example with fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, as well as liver and egg yolk. The need for sunlight is therefore unavoidable for an adequate vitamin D supply.
• Which foods contain Vitamin D?

  We can cover a maximum of 10 to 20 percent of our daily vitamin D requirement through food.

  The vitamin D3, which our body can easily absorb from food, is mainly found in animal foods, especially in:

  • Fatty types of fish, such as salmon, herring, and mackerel
  • Margarine and butter
  • Liver
  • Egg yolks and milk

  Plant-based foods like mushrooms and avocados also contain vitamin D - but in a form that your body can't absorb as effectively.
• How much Vitamin D do I need?

  For a long time, it was believed that we were adequately supplied with vitamin D from 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng / ml). However, some doctors and therapists are of the opinion that we only fully benefit from the positive effects of the sun vitamin at levels of 40 to 60 ng / ml.

  Many of us spend a lot of time indoors and struggle to produce enough Vitamin D, even during the summer. Depending on where you live, the winter months also have very short daylight hours, making it challenging to get enough time in the sun. For these reasons, many people have lower than optimal vitamin D values all year round.

• Do I only need to supplement my Vitamin D in the winter?

  In winter, most people in the northern states will have lower vitamin D levels. Our body struggles to produce vitamin D because of the low level of solar radiation. That is why it is often helpful to take countermeasures with supplements.

  Unfortunately, many people do not have adequate vitamin D levels even in summer. This is due, among other things, to the amount of time we spend indoors and to the use of sunscreen that blocks UV radiation from the skin. This means that for some, supplementing your vitamin D intake can also be useful in summer. We think it's best to find out your vitamin D levels using a test, and use the result to decide if you need a supplement.
• Can you overdose on Vitamin D?

  Unlike many other vitamins, your body cannot simply excrete vitamin D in your urine. If you are already well taken care of and still take very high doses, this can lead to an overdose.

  Possible consequences of a vitamin D overdose are:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Impaired consciousness
  • long-term weight loss, kidney stone formation and organ damage
• Who should NOT take the Vitamin D test?

  The vitamin D test is unsuitable or only partially suitable for certain groups of people:

  • People with infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV may not take the vitamin D test.
  • People with hemophilia should not takethe blood test.
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women should only take the vitamin D test under medical supervision. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor about your test result as the reference values and recommendations do not apply to you.
  • The vitamin D test is not suitable for children under the age of 18.
  • The test is not intended to diagnose serious illnesses. For example, if you have severe depression or extreme pain, contact a doctor.