Ever wonder if you have Vitamin D Deficiency? Get your blood tested

The Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Blood Test determines Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is essential in the growth of healthy bones and teeth. Without it, children can develop a bone-malformation condition known as rickets, and adults can develop osteomalacia, which is where bones become soft and easy fracture. Vitamin D also helps regulate levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in the blood, and has been shown to influence the growth of other tissues in the body as well as the regulation of the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the development of conditions such as cancer, heart disease‚ osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.

The body gets vitamin D from two natural sources: your diet and exposure to sunlight. Although vitamin D is found naturally in only a few foods, in the United States, many products are supplemented with it, including milk, breakfast cereals and juices. There are a few groups more risk of Vitamin D deficiency than others:

• People over 60
• People with excess weight
• People with darker skin tones
• People with living situations with limited sunshine
• People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery
• People who have conditions like cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease that interfere with fat absorption.