Shortage of the Sunshine Vitamin

It’s hard to imagine it, but even in the middle of summer, there are people who aren’t getting enough sunshine in their life. There could be all kinds of reasons why, but the most likely one is because they are being wise and listening to the well-placed warnings from their dermatologist about skin cancer. So, they slather on sunscreen, suit up in long sleeved shirts and pants and basically avoid the sun when possible. But some doctors are seeing an unintended consequence to this advice: vitamin D deficiency.

What is Vitamin D

According to the Vitamin D Council, D is unlike any other vitamin. Your body can make its own vitamin D when you expose your skin to sunlight. But, your body can’t make other vitamins; you have to get them from the foods you eat.

Basically, when your skin is exposed to the sun, it produces vitamin D and sends it to your liver. Your liver then changes it to a substance called 25 OH D. When your doctor talks about your vitamin D levels you’ll basically be talking about the amount of 25 OH D you have in your blood. You can also get vitamin D from supplements or even small amounts from the foods you eat.

Vitamin D at Work

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in keeping your bones strong. Your body needs it in order to absorb calcium. If you don’t have enough, your bones can become soft, thin and brittle. In children, this is called rickets. In adults, it’s known as osteomalacia. Researchers are also looking into the role that a vitamin D deficiency plays in:

• Cancer
• Asthma
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease
• Type 1 diabetes

Are You at Risk?

A lack of sun exposure due to sunscreen use isn’t the only risk factor for a deficiency. Some people are just more inclined to it. According to the Vitamin D Council, people at risk for D deficiency include:

• People with darker skin. The darker your skin the more sun exposure you need to get the same amount of vitamin D as a fair-skinned person.
• People who spend a lot of time indoors during the day. For example, if you’re housebound or work nights and spend the day sleeping.
• Older people, because they have thinner skin and may not be able to produce as much vitamin D as younger people.
• Pregnant women and breastfed-only infants.
• People who are overweight.

The symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency are so vague you might not have a clue. They can range anywhere from tiredness and general aches and pains to a pain in your bones and weakness. Some people don’t even have symptoms at all.

Testing to Know Your Levels

Testing to find out your levels of this important vitamin is as simple as going to your local Any Lab Test Now location. The test you’ll want to ask for is the Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Test (25 OH D). It’s a simple test that requires no fasting and results generally take between 24 to 72 hours. Our experts have found that people who take the Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Test (25 OH D) will also request one of the following relevant tests as well:

• Basic Check-Up Panel
• Comprehensive Male Panel or Comprehensive Female Panel

If your levels are abnormal a trip to your doctor is in order. They can talk to you about safe and sensible sun exposure and supplements. Having plenty of the “sunshine vitamin” can really be the key to feeling sunny every day!

Keeping Mom Healthy

Mother’s Day is around the corner, on May 14th. We usually give Mom a card or maybe take her to brunch. This year, you can do a little more to show your mom that you love her and want to spend many more Mother’s Days with her by talking to her about her health.

Navigating a Checkup

In fact, it’s a good idea to do an annual check-in with Mom before her annual checkup. Write down any of your mom’s questions so she can take them with her. Visit Any Lab Test Now to help provide answers she wants, quickly and easily. These will help her identify what she needs to talk about with the doctor.

Talk About Healthy Basics

Some basics to good health remain the same no matter what our age! Talk with your Mom about:

• eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables,
• maintaining a healthy weight,
• exercising 30 minutes a day,
• getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night,
• not smoking,
• wearing a seatbelt and
• not texting while driving.

These are all good reminders when it comes to living a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. To add even more encouragement, perhaps you could tackle one or two of these together or create a challenge with the whole family.

Changing Vitamin Needs

There are some things that do change as Mom ages. Not all of them are things we’d think about. Did you realize the vitamins you take should change as you age? A mom in her 30s still needs to be sure to take folic acid every day, whereas a mom who is older and has gone through menopause doesn’t.

Once a woman has reached 65, she should be sure to add vitamin D into her daily regimen. Along with exercise, adequate levels of vitamin D can help prevent falls. If you aren’t sure that your mom is getting enough, you can suggest she have the simple Vitamin D Test done at Any Lab Test Now! Getting enough Vitamin D can be tough — especially if you follow a strict vegan diet. Other than fortified milk, not many foods have it.

Why is Mom Tired?

Being worn out and tired is just par for the course of motherhood, right? Not necessarily. Instead of letting Mom think that she has to spend 18 (or more) years exhausted, make sure there isn’t an underlying nutrient problem, such as iron deficiency anemia. In fact, the most common symptoms of this are fatigue and weakness. A woman who has anemia is tired because her blood isn’t getting enough oxygen to her body.

Any Lab Test Now has an Anemia Panel that can determine if Mom has an iron deficiency. Then, she and her doctor can come up with a plan to have her feeling more like herself again. The solution is usually a combination of iron supplements and adding iron-rich foods into her diet. No, she isn’t going to put liver on your dinner plate. Lentils, tofu, green leafy veggies and dried fruits are all great ways to get more iron in your diet.

Your mom spends a lot of time taking care of you. This Mother’s Day, take a little time to take care of her. Help her take charge of her health care needs and get the answers she seeks so that she can continue spending happy, healthy days with you and the family.

The Dangers of Being Vitamin D Deficient

Sunny days can make us feel amazing. Studies have proven, time and again, that a little sunshine can have a serious positive impact on your mood and mental state. And the good news is the sun can also be your best source for vitamin D! But what you may not know is that if you’re using lots of sunscreen, you may actually be vitamin D deficient regardless of how much time you spend in the sun.

Applying sunscreen daily is highly recommended for preventing skin cancer, and it’s a great idea to protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. But sunscreen can also block beneficial UV light that allows the skin to make vitamin D. So if you are being too careful in the sun, you may actually be causing more harm than good.

You’ve Heard of it, But What is it Really?

Vitamin D plays an important role in our body. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that our body needs for important processes such as the absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc – all nutrients your body needs to survive.

The sun is your body’s best and most efficient source of vitamin D. The body makes vitamin D from exposure to sunlight or UV light on exposed skin, but it can also obtain the vitamin from plants, supplements or foods fortified with the vitamin. If your body does not get enough vitamin D, you will develop a vitamin D deficiency.

Some people may be more susceptible to developing a vitamin D deficiency due to little sun exposure, diet and other factors. Sunscreen blocks UV light from being absorbed by your skin, which is why people can sometimes over-protect themselves from the sun. People who are obese, have dark skin and those who are older than 65 are also at higher risk. Symptoms may include tiredness, weakness, bone pain, general aches or even frequent infections. However, some people show no symptoms at all.

A long-term vitamin D deficiency can put you at risk for any number of dangerous and even deadly health problems including coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke and diabetes mellitus. A vitamin D deficiency can also cause your bones to become thin, brittle or misshapen over time. This is why it is important to know your vitamin D levels so you can take the steps to correct or prevent a vitamin D deficiency.

What Can You Do About It?

A vitamin D deficiency can be treated with increased sun exposure as well as vitamin D supplements. To reach your necessary vitamin D levels, try getting at least ten minutes of unprotected sun exposure every day — but make sure to apply the sunscreen after that!

If you suspect you may have a vitamin D deficiency, it’s important to get tested to find out for sure. Any Lab Test Now’s Vitamin D Test is a great place to start if you’d like to find out more about your vitamin D levels. By equipping yourself with the knowledge you need, you can begin taking the first steps towards better health.

 

Vitamin D – Do You Know If You’re Getting Enough?

What do sunscreen and obesity have in common? You may be surprised to find out that they may both be leading to osteoporosis, auto-immune diseases, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Skin cancer has reached epidemic proportions even though we are all aware of the risk of tanning beds and smearing our skin with body oil for that perfect “glow”. The use of sunscreen, hats and sunprotectant clothing is on the rise, and is necessary if the goal is cancer prevention. Obesity is also increasing as more and more of us turn to fast food, either for convenience, taste or financial reasons, and we continue to find our entertainment on the couch.

Something many of us may not know is that both being obese and blocking the sun can prevent our bodies from absorbing Vitamin D. Because our main source of vitamin D is the sun, vitamin D is often called the “Sunshine Vitamin”. Avoiding the sun completely may be good for our skin, but it isn’t doing us any favors in the vitamin department. Sunscreen with 30 SPF can reduce the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D by 95%. Obesity and gastrointestinal disorders decrease the ability to absorb vitamin D from foods.

Ideally, we would all be getting plenty of vitamin D from sitting outside at lunch and eating vitamin D rich foods like eggs, fortified milk, and fish including sardines, salmon and herring. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes of sun on bare skin to reap the benefits and absorb enough vitamin D to keep levels adequate. Those who are homebound, stay inside, have darker skin or live in northern climates are also at a higher risk of not being able to get their daily dose of sunshine.

A long term deficiency of vitamin D can lead to numerous serious health problems.
Symptoms of a deficiency are subtle ornonexistent but could be bone pain, muscle weakness, low energy and depression. The list of possible health problems includes the obvious: osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, but may also cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, severe asthma and other lung diseases, and an increased risk of cancer, specifically of the breast, colon, prostate and pancreas. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to Type 2 Diabetes and autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. There is even evidence that deficiency could lead to cognitive impairment in older adults and is associated with a larger amount of belly fat!

Vitamin D plays a critical role in the processing of calcium, which can’t be used by the body without the right level of vitamin D. Research has shown that adequate levels of the sunshine vitamin in healthy people hasa significant impact on the biological pathways that govern illnesses, cancer, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease. It has may be involved in weight loss: Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predicted weight loss success, suggesting that vitamin D may play a role in weight loss.

If you aren’t sure whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, a simple Vitamin D 25-hydroxy test, or a Micronutrient test to assess levels of all vitamins and minerals in the body, can give you the right information to help you decide whether you need to make lifestyle changes, such as getting outside more, losing weight or taking vitamin supplements to keep you at your best, today and long into the future!

How Can You Prolong Your Life? Know Your Blood

It’s simple. Each of us desire to live long, happy lives. The question is how can we guarantee it? Although the answer’s not simple, it does not require us to spend endless hours searching for the fountain of youth. Rather, take one blood test…Take a few.

Did you know that your blood contains secrets about your health that could potentially add years to your life? Even better, maybe even save your life? Picture your blood being a strand of clues. With just one drop of your blood under a microscope, your physician (a.k.a. the detective) can use those clues to pinpoint the exact steps you can take into prolonging your life.

For example, a rise in your blood sugar could signify potential diabetes, increased risk of heart disease and stroke. A drop in your blood levels could indicate future hyperthyroidism. These are all examples of “silent warning signals” that are hidden in your blood. The advantage you have is clear. Be proactive. Get to know your blood. The sooner you can understand what your blood represents, the sooner you and your physician can develop a strategic, preventive health plan to prevent your future diagnosis from becoming a reality.

Life Extension Magazine reported 10 important blood tests that adults over 40 should get annually in order to get a true gage on what their lifespan currently looks like and what measures could be taken to extend it.  Below is a list of those exact tests.

1. Chemistry Panel & Complete Blood Count

2. Fibrinogen

3. Hemoglobin A1C

4. DHEA

5. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) (Men Only)

6. Homocysteine

7. C-Reactive Protein

8. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

9. Testosterone (Free)

10. Estradiol

Take charge of your current and future health in the most simplest way.  Any Lab Test Now offers an array of blood tests including the ones listed above.  Schedule an appointment with us today and let us begin to help you live the long and healthy life you desire.

Reference: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/may2006_report_blood_01.htm

Are You Winter D-ficient?

Vitamin D, more popularly known as the sunshine vitamin, is essential for your health. It is a fat soluble vitamin that interacts with over 200 genes in your body. Your body produces Vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. It’s also naturally present in a few various food items and supplements and can be absorbed that way.

It’s important to test your Vitamin D levels because if they are not satisfactory your risk for coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus and calcium deficiency rises. Many other health issues can come from a lack of Vitamin D as well.

A sufficient range of Vitamin D is between 30 and 100 ng/mL. Check out what the Vitamin D Council talks about in regards to having a Vitamin D deficiency. Sometimes if you are deficient, symptoms can go unnoticed. They can include tiredness, general aches and pains or more severe pain. These symptoms can be common for various different issues, which is why it’s so important to get tested to make sure you know what is going on in your body.

Deficiency can be common in the winter months, because you may not be getting as much sun as compared to the summer months. That’s why it’s important to Take Control of Your Health® and test your Vitamin D levels to learn where your levels are.

Celebrating National Nutrition Month

Are you known in your social circle as the ‘foodie’ of the group? Who doesn’t enjoy celebrating food, right? Well all throughout the month of March you get a chance to celebrate your passion for food during National Nutrition Month and share your ‘foodie’ experience with your friends. However before you can share your love of food with your family and friends it is important that you know how to make nutritious food choices and that you incorporate them with good physical activity habits.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has given this year’s celebration the theme of “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day”, encouraging individuals to personalize their eating habits towards a healthier path and help them to identify the factors that ultimately influence their food choices. Our food choices are influenced by the events in our everyday life, busy lifestyles, cultural traditions and most importantly our health concerns. Health concerns, depending on the condition, should be a main factor in how we personalize our eating plans.

So perhaps your food choices aren’t always the most nutritious. That can be okay, as long as you balance your overall daily intake and combine it with an active lifestyle. Nutrition boils down to learning about how our bodies work and how to create an eating plan that is tailored to our lifestyle, health needs and of course our tastes. In addition knowing how our bodies will react to the meals we enjoy is key to creating a balanced healthy eating plan. Let’s say that during one of your ‘foodie’ adventures you came across a meal that your body just did not agree with. That disagreement could have been caused by a number of things. It could be that your body is intolerant or sensitive, or perhaps you are allergic to one or more of the ingredients in that meal.  Even if you are eating healthy, it is still possible that your body is deficient in specific vitamins and minerals.

There is no better time to Take Control of Your Health®. ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers a variety of tests that can help you learn more about your body’s current state and help you reach nutritional wellness. In order to do that, it is important to learn about the different food ingredients your body might be sensitive, intolerant or allergic to. Understanding how your body reacts to food through lab testing can help you truly create a tailored healthy meal plan that works just for you. It is also good to know what vitamins and minerals you might be missing.  Use National Nutrition Month to celebrate food in a healthy way and share with your friends and family all you have learned. Why not prepare a feast with the healthy foods you love for them and plan a fun, physical activity for everyone after the meal?

Remember you are what you eat, and ANY LAB TEST NOW® is here to help you Take Control of Your Health®.  To learn more about our nutrition-based lab tests including nutrient testing, food sensitivity, intolerance or allergies visit www.anylabtestnow.com.

Getting in the Spirit of National Collegiate Health and Wellness Week

Going to college is a great experience. It is the time when you finally get to study the subjects you are really interested in and when you begin to work towards your future career. You are the one and only responsible for what comes next for Y-O-U, including meeting deadlines, paying bills on time and of course taking care of your health.  Welcome to adulthood!

Now let’s talk about the process to get into college. Yes grades, tests scores and a comprehensive entry essay are a given; but the other side of this process believe it or not comes down to your health. Are your immunizations up to date? Have you been tested for venereal diseases? Some institutions may also require you to take a drug test. All these elements combined and perhaps an interview will determine whether you get in or not.

Next… Congratulations you got accepted! Now the grind begins, you are on a roll and burning the midnight oil has become part of your daily routine. You figured “why not I’m young I’ll catch up on Z’s once I graduate!” Ask yourself do these activities affect my overall health and wellness? The answer to that question is YES! Let’s be honest that midnight oil being burned is not just due to studying and once you graduate the time to catch up on Z’s decreases. It has been reported that some of the main health concerns on campuses across the country include lack of sleep, infectious diseases, alcohol abuse and lack of exercise.

The time to Take Control of Your Health® is now! You might ask yourself, but “how do I do that?” Perhaps doing the good old buddy system could work.  ANY LAB TEST NOW® can be that buddy you need to help you stay on top of things and make sure you’re healthy. We have the tests that you don’t have to study for including titer testing, STD testing and overall wellness checkups. Plus, we have B-12 shots that can help you boost that energy after those all-nighters.  Get in the spirit of National Collegiate Health and Wellness Week, increase your awareness about the importance of staying healthy, fit and get educated on how to do it.  Visit www.anylabtestnow.com to find additional information on how to Take Control of Your Health® and visit a location near you.

Vitamin D Deficiency Addressed Again

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There has been an annoyingly large amount of back and forth over whether we should be taking large amounts of vitamin D to compensate for unrecognized deficiencies of the critical mineral.  First, most of us weren’t getting enough, then we were so, don’t worry and don’t take too much.  A new study has recommended screenings, specifically of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, not the active levels, for specific groups that are at risk of severe vitamin D deficiencies.  These groups include the obese, those with malabsorption issues, african americans and pregnant/lactating women.

The study, conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine, includes new guidelines for screenings for levels of vitamin D that should be that should be present in the blood.  Generally a level of 30 ng/mL has been considered acceptable, but the recommendation is that clinicians should aim for a target level of between 40-60 ng/mL.  Many feel that the guidelines of 400 IU daily of vitamin for children and young adults and 600 IU for adults through the age of 70 is conservative because so many people are deficient and don’t realize it.  Regardless of the current guidelines, getting tested to check your level and making sure you are getting the minimum couldn’t hurt.  Obviously, the medical community is still battling this one out and we still don’t have a clear answer.  Until they figure it out, don’t sit around and assume you’re OK.  You’re the one who cares the most about your health so it’s up to you to be sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.