You may be lacking Vitamin D. The We Test Bio Vitamin D Home Test Kit makes it easy to check your levels from home in just 10 minutes. More than 1 in every 3 Australian adults have Vitamin D levels regarded as medically deficient1, making early detection essential.
The easiest low-cost way to get tested for vitamin D is to use a vitamin D deficiency test at home. Simply order an online vitamin D home test, collect a few drops of blood with finger prick, send your sample to our CLIA-certified labs, and find out your vit D levels in less than a week.
Vitamin D in pregnancy
You need 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day. It's recommended pregnant and breastfeeding women take a daily supplement containing this amount between September and March.
What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
Dry, itchy skin is often a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D is created through skin exposure to the sun and cholesterol in the skin, in the winter months, when sunlight exposure is less, people often experience dry, itchy skin attributing it to the cold weather.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
The correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and decreased sleep duration as well as impaired sleep efficiency has been well-documented in several studies.
You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons:
The best sources are the flesh of fatty fish and fish liver oils. Smaller amounts are found in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. Certain mushrooms contain some vitamin D2; in addition some commercially sold mushrooms contain higher amounts of D2 due to intentionally being exposed to high amounts of ultraviolet light.
You can quickly raise your vitamin D levels by taking a vitamin D supplement (often the fastest method), eating vitamin D–rich or fortified foods, and getting safe sunlight exposure. Supplements, especially vitamin D3, generally work fastest, but always follow medical guidance for optimal results and safety.
Taking an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can help raise your levels and improve deficiency symptoms within six weeks to four months, depending on how severe your deficiency is. You may begin to feel consistently more energetic and in a better mood when your use of vitamin D supplements starts to work.
The Bottom Line
Vitamin D vs D3, what's the difference? Technically, vitamin D relates to both vitamin D2 (which comes from plants) and vitamin D3 (which the body produces naturally and also comes from animal foods). However, both forms function similarly in the body.
Role in Fertility: Vitamin D helps regulate hormones that are important for fertility. Low levels can disrupt this balance, potentially affecting the ability to conceive. Diet and Nutrition: A well-balanced diet that includes enough vitamin D is important for overall health and fertility.
“Check the current USDA label on a carton of eggs and it will show that having that two-egg omelet provides 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures in adults. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases.
Routine blood work is a crucial tool for maintaining good health. It can provide a wealth of information about your overall health and help detect diseases early before they cause serious health problems.
Amla: Amla is a highly nutritious fruit used in Ayurvedic medicine. It possesses a reasonable amount of vitamin D and can be consumed fresh or in various culinary preparations. Mushrooms: Certain mushrooms, such as maitake, morel, and shiitake, can produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
Although the list of foods naturally high in vitamin D is a short one, there are foods and beverages – like milk, orange juice, nutritional shakes and breakfast cereals fortified with the nutrient to help make life a little easier!
Yes! Eggs are high in vitamin D, with a serving of two eggs containing 8.2µg of vitamin D. This is 82% of the recommended dietary intake for adults 51-70 years and more than 100% for younger age groups. Eggs are one of the highest food sources of vitamin D.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Because vitamin D is fat soluble, its absorption depends on the gut's ability to absorb dietary fat [4]. Fat malabsorption is associated with medical conditions that include some forms of liver disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis [1,63].
It primarily causes issues with your bones and muscles. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that your body uses for normal bone development and maintenance. Vitamin D also plays a role in your nervous system, musculoskeletal system and immune system.
Supplementing vitamin B6 may improve sleep quality and duration. A 2019 study also found that taking a supplement of magnesium, melatonin, and vitamin B complex for 3 months improved sleep and helped treat insomnia.
Medical conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, anxiety and depression, and indigestion, as well as some medications can cause frequent nighttime wakings. Your bedroom environment—temperature, noise, light, discomfort—and lifestyle factors like alcohol or caffeine consumption can also contribute.
Impacts of serum vitamin D on sleep and quality of life
Those with deficient vitamin D showed shorter total sleep time and more severe symptoms of daytime sleepiness. In addition, they had higher proportion of those with short sleep duration (TST ≤ 6 hours) (39.7% vs 23.0%) and EDS (28.1% vs 13.6%) (Figure 2).