Vitamin D supports healthy bone density, insulin production, and immune function. While the recommended amount of vitamin D is not generally acquired from the diet, it can be reached through exposure to sunlight and supplementation.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to increased susceptibility to infection¹. Deficiency usually affects older people who aren’t exposed to enough sunlight or don’t eat vitamin-enriched foods and increases their risk of fractures².
Vitamin D toxicity—called hypervitaminosis D—occurs in those with excess vitamin D in the body but is rare and generally only caused by extreme over-supplementation. It can have serious health effects, such as kidney stones and bone issues.
Testing is recommended for people at risk of vitamin D deficiency, including those with malabsorption conditions, kidney failure, or unusual bone pain or fractures³. If you live in latitudes that have extended periods of limited sunlight, you might want to get your vitamin D levels tested.
As vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, it may be advisable to also test levels of this nutrient.
The normal range of vitamin D in the blood, as recognized by the imaware medical advisory board, is 25–80 ng/mL.
Finding out if you have vitamin D deficiency will allow you to adjust your lifestyle and nutrition. You can increase your vitamin D level by taking supplements or by consuming more vitamin D-enriched foods.
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