25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Test

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorous to help maintain strong bones and teeth. In children, Vitamin D helps fuel the growth of healthy bones and teeth. As we age, it helps prevent osteoporosis (decreased bone mass) which leads to an increased risk of fractures. Often known as the “sunshine vitamin”, Vitamin D is produced by your body when the sun’s UV rays contact your skin. It doesn’t occur naturally in many foods, but can be found in fish, eggs and fortified dairy and cereal products, or by taking vitamin supplements. It is estimated that up to one-third of Canadians do not have the recommended levels of Vitamin D.

Your ability to produce Vitamin D is greatly impacted by:

• Geograghy
• The season/weather
• Sunscreen usage
• Skin pigment
• Age

Your ability to absorb Vitamin D from your diet or supplements may be impacted by:

• Malabsorption syndromes such as fat malabsorption or gastric bypass surgery

There are several factors which can increase your risk of Vitamin D deficiency:

• Not consuming enough food types rich in Vitamin D. This is likely if you don’t each fish, follow a strict vegan diet, or are lactose-intolerant.
• Not getting enough safe exposure to the sun. This can be caused by geography, the weather, sunscreen usage and even skin pigment. Adults and the elderly are at a higher risk as they tend spend less time in the sun.
• You have kidney issues which prevent Vitamin D from being converted to its active form in your body. This happens mostly within older age groups.
• Certain medical problems which can effect your ability to absorb Vitamin D such as Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease. Certain people with obesity can also have Vitamin D deficiency, since Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation.

Additional information can be found in our 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D test brochure
here here here.