Vitamin D Levels

[Sunflower535]

I just wanted to thank all those people who recommended using the NHS facility for checking vitamin D.

vitamindtest.org.uk - costs £31 - DIY kit and just pop into the post!

I got mine done last week and my results are just in and I am pleased that all looks okay. I have been supplementing with 5000 international units per day and I was worried that maybe I was overdoing it but looks like I am okay with that amount. With our summer being dreadful this year in Ireland I didn't stop or reduce it. That is one vitamin I won't have to worry about for a while.

The process was easy to do - although I found it hard to get the blood dropped out on to the card but it must have been okay.

My level 197.8 mol/L - they don't give ranges but the guide says:-

below 15 is severe deficiency

15 to 30 - deficiency

30.1 to 50 is insufficiency

50.1 to 220 - adequate

risk of toxicity - above 220

So thanks everyone - I feel now that I am starting to understand my results more and I have just found out last week that medichecks have a facility for taking blood in my local town - all I need to do now is save up for that too!

We will get our health sorted out eventually - we just need to be patient and to learn, learn, and learn more and where better to get that information - but here.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Sunflower535

Glad you've found that service good, I have used them since 2015, that is how I found that I had severe deficiency.

I would just mention that you don't need your level that high. The Vit D Council, Vit D Society and Grassroots Health all recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L with a recent blog post on Grassroots Health recommending at least 125nmol/L. One of them says there is no benefit having a level higher than 150nmol/L (will try and find it and come back with link if I can), so in your shoes I would reduce your dose slightly, maybe 6 days a week instead of 7. Remember to retest twice a year to check levels.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to SeasideSusie]

Found it!

web.archive.org/web/2019070...

My level is between 50-60 ng/ml (which is the same as 125-150nmol/L)

You’re getting the right amount of vitamin D by the standards set by the Vitamin D Council and Endocrine Society. The Institute of Medicine, however, doesn’t feel there is enough evidence to say that having a level higher than 50 ng/ml is of any benefit.

Some vitamin D researchers believe that these levels are the best to aim for, though more research is needed to be sure about this.

[Sunflower535 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for that Seaside Susie. I have been taking Vitamin D since before Covid so the levels have probably reached where they should be. I will certainly do that and reduce my intake a bit now that I know that. I will make sure and test regularly too. Thanks again.