You wear sunscreen, right? So you’re protected from skin cancer, great! But what about the vitamin D that is also blocked with that SPF 100 Sunscreen? You may not think it matters, but vitamin D, also known as the “Sunshine Vitamin”, is critical to the body’s immune function, strong bones to prevent osteoporosis, and it may even help you lose weight! If you’re not taking a vitamin supplement, or specifically a vitamin D supplement, you could be putting yourself at risk for many serious health conditions. Just one example is a broken hip, which in an elderly person, can severely limit their independence. The problem with getting enough vitamin D 
is that it is very hard to do with diet alone even if you are trying to eat right. And you may not be able to tell if you’re not getting enough. A simple blood test to measure the levels of vitamins and minerals in your system, the MicroNutrient test, includes the test for vitamin D and is a good place to start.
Most people are aware that calcium is necessary for bone strength, but calcium needs vitamin D for the body to properly process it. The kidneys convert vitamin D in its active form which controls calcium and phosphate levels in the body. A lack of vitamin D has long been associated with rickets, a very serious disease in which bone tissue doesn’t properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. Recent research has shown that low levels of vitamin D, less than 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), has been associated with cognitive impairment in older adults, increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, severe asthma in children, and cancer.
Beyond too little sunshine, there are many reasons that you could be deficient in this critical vitamin. Those with dark skin, those who are obese, those with kidney problems which would prevent the conversion of vitamin D to the active form, those who have had gastric bypass surgery which may prevent your intestines from absorbing the vitamin or those who follow a strict vegetarian diet should get their vitamin D levels checked to determine if supplements are appropriate. Although vitamin D is available in some foods, most of them animal based, such as fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese and beef liver, it is very difficult to get enough through these foods.
Although the link between vitamin D and weight loss isn’t clear, a study funded by The National Institutes of Health, the University of Minnesota, and the Pennock Family Endowment at the University of Minnesota found that women who had low levels of vitamin D and increased their intake before starting a low calorie diet lost more weight than those who did not increase their vitamin D. Higher levels of vitamin D (both the precursor and the active form) predicted greater loss of abdominal fat. Of course, the flip side of this is that starting on a diet but not getting enough vitamin D could inhibit or imped your ability to lose weight. If you’re going to go to the trouble of going on a diet, why bother if it’s not going to show a big weight loss payoff?
The best test for evaluating vitamin D levels in the blood, the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test, is offered at ANY LAB TEST NOW® locations and is quick and simple. Because a deficiency in vitamin D is usually not noticeable or has very subtle symptoms, a test may be the only notification you get. Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine call for raising the recommended dietary allowance from 600 IU (International Units) to 700 IU for those over 70 to optimize bone health. If you have any risk factors or minimize your exposure to the sun, you should consider getting tested and talk with your doctor about supplementing your diet with vitamin D. Your body, your bone, your mind and your belly may all thank you.
