How’s Your Vitamin D Level?

On November 1st of 2009, I posted a blog entry about the importance of vitamin D for a properly functioning immune system, as well as for a number of other crucial body functions.

Since that blog post there have been a number of articles, research papers and the like about vitamin D and just how crucial it is to health.

Vitamin D is not really a vitamin.  Rather it is actually a hormone. 

It regulates a number of very important functions in the body, including the immune system.

Since vitamin D regulates the immune system, if you are deficient in vitamin D, then you will be more vulnerable to infections, as well as any diseases that the immune system normally protects you from.

By the same token, you don’t want your vitamin D level to be too high.  That can lead to its own set of problems.

Given our modern lifestyles, in which most of us do not spend much time with sunlight on our bodies, which stimulates them to manufacture vitamin D, it is a given that most of us are deficient in this critical substance.  So most of us do need to supplement the vitamin D levels in our bodies.

However, since we do not want either too much or too little, we first need to know what our un-supplemented levels are.  The best way to determine this is through a capillary blood test.  This is a very simple blood test that your doctor can order for you.  Or you can even do it yourself.

Here’s how I do it myself and how you can too:

Join the vitamin D research project founded and run by Grass Roots Health.

I joined this exciting research project to help further this much needed research.  As a participant in this research project anyone can get tested, using the best test currently available.  the recommended interval is twice a year.  The cost for each test, if you are part of the research study is $65.00.  This is for the preferred of the two available vitamin D tests, the:  What’s more, no doctor’s visit is required.  The staff of the research project takes care of the test requisition for you.  They use a nationally recognized and highly regarded lab, ZRT Labs

The cost is $65.00 twice a year for the testing as long as you are a participant.  The sample can be taken in your own home.  It’s easy and it’s a safe way to optimize your vitamin D level, which will dramatically improve your immune function.

At the time that I wrote my November 2009 blog post about this, the cost was only $40.00 for each test.  The tests for the study, and for your health, as well, should be done every 6 months.  Since then the cost has increased to $65.00 per test if you do it as a participant in the study.  However, because you can do it without a doctor’s visit or test requisition, I think it is still a very good deal.

Here’s the Web Address to join the program:

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/questionnaire-welcome?c=1&js=1

If you prefer not to join the Vitamin D research project you can simply order a test kit here.  The test is more expensive that way, but it may be more convenient.  You do not even need to get a requisition signed by a doctor.  You can easily use the kit and prepare the sample from the convenience of your own home.

It is possible that you can look around and find a test for less, but by the time you add the cost of getting a doctor to sign for it, that may not pay.  If you do get your test elsewhere be sure it is a genuine test for accurate blood levels of vitamin D following these guidelines:

There are two vitamin D blood spot tests: 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D. 25(OH)D is the better marker of overall D status.

The correct test is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D.  Click the button below to buy your test kit directly from Labrix, a nationally recognized, high-standard lab.

To your health!

Jeff Bell