Having blood tests to measure the amount of vitamin D in your blood is the only way to know if you’re getting enough vitamin D or not. The blood test you need is called a 25(OH)D blood test.
You can get a blood test at your doctors or you can do an in-home test or get a test at a laboratory. All of these methods of testing should give you accurate results.
In-home tests are easy to use and involve pricking your finger to take a small blood sample and sending this away to a laboratory for testing.
Your tests results will show whether you’re getting enough vitamin D or not, and whether you may need to take supplements or expose your skin to the sun more.
For More Great Health Care Tips refer to the Website 16best.net
There are three ways to get tested:
1.Ask your doctor for a vitamin D test.
Be specific and ask for a 25(OH)D test. There is another type of blood test for vitamin D, called a 1,25(OH)₂D test, but the 25(OH)D test is the only one that will tell you whether you’re getting enough vitamin D.
If your health insurance covers a 25(OH)D test, this is a good way to work with your doctor to get tested.
2.Order an in-home test.
These tests are sent to your home. You prick your finger and put a drop of blood on to some blotter paper. You send the paper to a laboratory to be tested.
These are an alternative if you don’t want to go to your doctor just for a vitamin D test, or if your insurance doesn’t cover a test.
3.Order a test online and get blood work done at a laboratory.
There are a few websites that allow you to bypass your doctor and go straight to the testing laboratory. These websites include mymedlab.com, healthcheckusa.com and privatemdlabs.com.
You can buy a 25(OH)D test from all of these companies and have the test itself done at your nearest LabCorp. These tests are a little more expensive than in-home tests.
All three ways of getting tested should give you an accurate result.
If you tested low and want a higher level, you need to get more sun exposure or take a larger daily supplement.
If you tested and are right where you want to be, continue your supplement and sun exposure routine. Keep in mind that your level in the summer is probably higher than in the winter, with more sun and UVB.
So you may need to supplement more in the winter than in the summer to have the same vitamin D level.
If you tested high and want a lower level, you need to take a smaller daily supplement.
The normal range of vitamin D is measured as nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
Many experts recommend a level between 20 and 40 ng/mL. Others recommend a level between 30 and 50 ng/mL.
You do not want to have a level over 100 ng/ml and in fact anything over 150 ng/ml is considered toxic.
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Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.
The only way to know for sure if you’re vitamin D deficient is via blood testing. However, there are some signs and symptoms to be aware of as well.
1. You Have Darker Skin
African Americans are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, because if you have dark skin, you may need as much as 10 times more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as a person with pale skin!
Your skin pigment acts as a natural sunscreen, so the more pigment you have, the more time you’ll need to spend in the sun to make adequate amounts of vitamin D.
2. You Feel Down or depressed
Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with mood elevation, rises with exposure to bright light and falls with decreased sun exposure. In 2006, scientists evaluated the effects of vitamin D on the mental health of 80 elderly patients and found those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.
3. You’re 50 or Older
As mentioned, as you get older your skin doesn’t make as much vitamin D in response to sun exposure. At the same time, your kidneys become less efficient at converting vitamin D into the form used by your body and older adults tend to spend more time indoors (i.e. getting even less sun exposure and therefore vitamin D).
4. You’re Overweight or Obese (or Have a Higher Muscle Mass)
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, hormone-like vitamin, which means body fat acts as a “sink” by collecting it. If you’re overweight or obese, you’re therefore likely going to needmorevitamin D than a slimmer person — and the same holds true for people with higher body weights due to muscle mass.
5. Your Bones Ache
Many who see their doctor for aches and pains, especially in combination with fatigue, end up being misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome but actually have vitamin D deficiency.
6. Head Sweating
One of the first, classic signs of vitamin D deficiency is a sweaty head. In fact, doctors used to ask new mothers about head sweating in their newborns for this very reason.
Excessive sweating in newborns due to neuromuscular irritability is still described as a common, early symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
7. You Have Stomach Trouble
Remember, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means if you have a gastrointestinal condition that affects your ability to absorb fat, you may have lower absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D as well.
This includes gut conditions like Crohn’s, celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease.
8.You shun the sun.
The sun is the primary cause of premature aging on the skin, and it can also increase risk of skin cancer. It’s no surprise, then, that a lot of people try to stay out of it.
We’ve all been advised to use sunscreen on a daily basis.
While avoiding UV rays can help keep skin healthy and looking young, it can also deprive us of the primary source of vitamin D.
Few foods are good natural sources of vitamin D. The best options are animal foods, such as fatty fish and fish liver oils.
Beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks also contain small amounts. If you eat a vegan diet, you’re not consuming these foods, so you may be at greater risk of deficiency.
You can eat fortified foods, such as cereals and orange juice, but these may not supply enough on a daily basis.
10.You have chronic kidney disease.
If you have this disease, you may have more difficulty absorbing and utilizing vitamin D in your body. You may need to take vitamin D supplements.
The truth is that it’s extremely difficult to tell whether you have a vitamin D deficiency. The only way to be absolutely sure is to take a blood test.
The normal range of vitamin D is measured as nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Many experts recommend a level between 20 and 40 ng/mL. Others recommend a level between 30 and 50 ng/mL.
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D, so the biggest dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and vitamin supplements.
Good sources include dairy products and breakfast cereals (both of which are fortified with vitamin D), and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna.
For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is taking a supplement, but the level in most multivitamins (400 IU) is too low.
Encouragingly, some manufacturers have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D to their standard multivitamin preparations.
If the multivitamin you take does not have adequate level of vitamin D, you may want to consider adding a separate vitamin D supplement, especially if you don’t spend much time in the sun. Talk to your healthcare provider.
Two forms of vitamin D are used in supplements: vitamin D2 (“ergocalciferol,” or pre-vitamin D) and vitamin D3 (“cholecalciferol”). Vitamin D3 is chemically indistinguishable from the form of vitamin D produced in the body.
The body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on skin, hence its nickname, “the sunshine vitamin.”
Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone.
Laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth and plays a critical role in controlling infections. Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D.
Several studies link low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of fractures in older adults, and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation may prevent such fractures—as long as it is taken in a high enough dose.
Vitamin D may also help increase muscle strength, which in turn helps to prevent falls, a common problem that leads to substantial disability and death in older people.
Studies are finding vitamin D deficiency may be linked to heart disease.There’s evidence that vitamin D plays a role in controlling blood pressure and preventing artery damage, and this may explain these findings.
Dozens of studies suggest an association between low vitamin D levels and increased risks of colon and other cancers. The evidence is strongest for colorectal cancer, with most (but not all) observational studies finding that the lower the vitamin D levels, the higher the risk of these diseases.
Most experts recommend a daily intake of at least 600 International Units. You won’t find many foods that are high in vitamin D, but there are some.
Beef liver, cheese, egg yolks and fatty fish, which contain small amounts of D3, are the best dietary sources of D3.
Cod liver oil provide a time-honored potent source of D3, although the taste might be a turnoff.
Fortified milk and orange juice also contain vitamin D; manufacturers can choose to add either either D2 or D3.
Mushrooms supply D2 to your diet.
Over-the-counter and prescription supplements can increase your vitamin D3 intake.
The amount of vitamin D necessary for good health is a matter of sharp debate.
The Food and Nutrition Board’s adequate intake amount is 600 IUs per day between the ages of 1 and 70 and 800 IUs per day for adults over age 70.
Don’t take doses higher than this without talking to your doctor first.
Some organizations,, recommend at least 5,000 IU per day for healthy adults, while some experts suggest a tolerable upper intake of 10,000 IUs per day.
The Food and Nutrition Board’s tolerable upper intake limit is much less — 4,000 IUs per day.
If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.
Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.
Calcium is the most common mineral found in our bones and helps to give them strength and rigidity. Calcium is also particularly important at the time of menopause, because calcium absorption slows down, due to low levels of oestrogen.
A deficiency in Calcium can cause bones to become brittle on the inside and therefore they break very easily. On the outside a person looks perfectly fine. Every cell in our body, including those in the heart, nerves and muscles rely on calcium. Calcium is also necessary for your body to form blood clots.
Calcium alone is not enough to treat bone loss and is not a substitute for drug therapies that treat bone loss. It is essential that calcium is taken in conjunction with Vitamin D3, no one should just be taking calcium.
The richest sources of calcium in food are milk, yogurt and cheese. Calcium is more easily absorbed through dairy products, versus non-dairy.
Bread, nuts and any oily fish (e.g. sardines and tuna) also contain calcium, as well as some dark green vegetables. Some brands of orange juice and most breakfast cereals have calcium.
Vitamin D3 is essential for the absorption of calcium, it increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium by 30-80%.
Without Vitamin D3, calcium will not be as easily absorbed by your body, which could affect the formation of healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D3 also helps to regulates cell growth and the immune system.
Vitamin D3 is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”. When a person’s skin is exposed to ultraviolet B rays, the skin makes vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that when consumed or made in the skin, can be stored in the blood and body fat, for several months.
Approximately 10-15 minutes of sunlight a day (depending on skin type), on any part of your body (arms, legs, etc…) during the summer months will enable the body to store vitamin D3.
If you are very light skinned, 2-3 minutes for approximately 4-5 times during the day.
However, it is very important to avoid over-exposure resulting in sunburn, as we are all aware of the damaging effects of the sun, especially in terms of skin cancer.
Wearing sun block, make up and/or moisturizers with sun block in them continuously, will inhibit vitamin D3 absorption also wearing burkas for religious reasons.
Rickets is a severe vitamin D deficiency and babies are being born in Ireland with this preventable condition.
Research has shown that there is a worldwide epidemic of low vitamin D levels, especially in infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women and senior citizens.
Vitamin D and calcium are very closely related in activity. Deficiency of either can lead to impaired bone formation, and deficiency of both in tandem is a common public health problem due to the amount of processed and unhealthy food consumed worldwide.
Vitamin D is an important chemical in the body that helps transport calcium from digested food in the stomach to the blood stream, so it can keep bones strong.
There are two ways the body gets vitamin D,exposure to UV radiation and ingesting foods or supplements that contain vitamin D.
Studies have shown that people who have the lowest vitamin D levels in their blood are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Do people who develop diabetes just happen to be deficient in vitamin D, or do low levels of vitamin D cause the disease?
Will supplementation with vitamin D prevent diseases, and can it be used to treat diseases such as diabetes?
In the past, the major source of vitamin D for humans was exposure to sunlight. One possible cause of the current widespread vitamin D deficiency is the lack of sunlight exposure. Another possible cause is a lack of dietary sources of vitamin D.
A barrier to sunshine exposure include fear of skin cancer, which has led to an increased use of sunscreen, hats, and other sun barriers.
I was out in Tramore last week for a look around the stalls,the funfair and The Strand!
The stalls were full of different trinkets such as wooden plaques,eyebrow jewellery,cloth bangels,different types of metal rings that the stall owner explained were made from Sheffield steel,chrome,resin and stainless steel!
There was also handkerchiefs with all different designs and colours!
There was plenty of people looking at the stalls and I asked one women if she knew anything about the bangles and how they were made but like me she didnt know!
Do any of you know how to make cloth bangles if so can you tell me how!
After I had a look at the stalls I went into the funfair where I had a look around at all of the amusements!
I thought the helter skelter looked the scariest and I remembered the bumper cars from my childhood!
My brother Jamieson always drove the car for me and my twin sister Joan!
I saw a young boy throwing balls at skittles trying to win a prize unfortunately he did not win anything!
I also saw a young man and his son bungee jumping it looked great fun!
I think that this bungee jumping looks like great exercise!
I then went into the kiddies corner where there was numerous amusements which they seem to enjoy!
See below a slideshow of the kiddies corner!
After that I saw a man organising the mini cars into a line to get ready for the next customers!
The best photo I took was the one of the bumper boats I think it is great what do you think?
The next place I stopped was the minion slide where a little girl was having a great time and two young women were overseeing the slide to make sure the children were safe!
Next I saw a group of people enjoying the sun and taking a selfie!
Next I stopped at the Future Dance amusement and they were waiting for the machine to start.
I dont think I would like this amusement as I am afraid of heights!
I then went to the Mystery Hotel where I saw people quequing for tickets!
I passed the Freak Out amusement but it was very quiet!
There was three ladies relaxing and enjoying the sun in front of the bumper cars!
Then I came across the spooky ghost train!
The jungle river looks like a Safari Adventure!
I then went further along the fairground to the minigolf area where I saw a women sitting on a bench waiting to play golf!
See below a slideshow of the mini golf area!
After that I went to the railway station and saw a mini train going past and the driver said hello as I walked passed!
Then I came across Pinda’s,the donut stall where people were queueing for donuts!
The next thing I stopped at was a Game of Skill where a few people were trying to win a big Teddy Bear!
Next I saw the baby bumper cars where there were a good lot of children having fun!
Next I passed another kids amusement called Dubai Rounders!
A girl and her grandmother were looking at the spinning saucers!
The next place I stopped was the crazy boot!
The next place I stopped is the bouncy trampoline!
I then saw a little girl looking at the Waltzers!
I saw the Minion Carousel with two little boys riding the horses with their parents watching!
I passed another Game of Skill with a little boy and his mother watching the father playing the game!
I dont know wether he won I hope he did!
Next I saw the Teapot and Cups it was quite busy!
Next I saw the flying elephants which all the children seem to love!
Next I saw the Cinderella Carousel!
I saw a young man win a big purple dinosaur at Planet Hollywood!
Then I came to the end of my time at the funfair when I reached the Park Shop!
Next I passed the Frisbee amusement there were a group of young people enjoying themselves!
Next I saw one women posing with Felonious Gru and two minions while her friend took the photo!
I passed a stall with different stuffed animals where a young boy was looking at the different animals!
I exited the funfair then wandered down the main street in Tramore where I passed the Arcade where I took a number of photos!
The next place I passed was a chipper called Mossimo’s,there was a family of three eating some chips outside the chipper and enjoying the sun!
Next I passed The Gift Box where a lot of people were congregating outside!
Next I passed Strand Leisure where there was a couple outside!
Then I passed Piper’s Cafe!
Next I passed The Holiday shops!
Next was Bobby’s a newsagents!
I then came across a man with his little daughter and two little terrier dogs!
I then passed The Ranch restaurant!
I then saw a man sitting outside The Shanty Bar & Cafe!
I passed a number of B&B’s on the way to the Majestic Hotel where I was going to have lunch!
This is a beautiful picture of the outside of The Majestic Hotel!
See below a showcase of the outside of The Majestic Hotel!
Then I entered the hotel for a bite to eat and to relax and unwind!
As you enter the hotel there is a beautiful picture of a lovely woman!
Here is another picture of another beautiful women!
A beautiful Art Decor painting!
Another lovely green ArtDecor Painting!
I then came across a selection of brochures!
I then saw the door to their Lakeside Room!
Next I saw a light Decor feature!
I then saw a nice lady working hard at the reception area!
Then I came across the lounge area where people were eating lunch!
There is a nice reception area!
They have a lovely selection of jewellry!
I came across another peaceful place to relax and unwind!
See below for a selection of Majestic Wedding Reception photos!
Another nice sitting area!
A selection of old photographs!
Another nice seating area with two nice pictures of boats!
Next I saw a selection of old photographs of Tramore in the 1900’s!
You can find information about the Majestic Hotel on Facebook!
Then I went into The Majestic Lounge Bar!
I went into the lounge bar where people were eating lunch and relaxing with a pint!
See below a slideshow of the Majestic Bar!
As I was waiting in the bar people were ordering lunch and having a chat!
Then I went outside and ordered a meal,see below a slideshow of the outside area of the Majestic Hotel!
I ordered some fish goujons ,salad and french fries!
I really enjoyed the meal,the fish was delicious,I found the salad refreshing and the french fries were demolished because I was hungry!
I then went into the ladies to check my blood sugar level and took four units of novorapid insulin,two units for the goujons and two units for the french fries!
There was a lovely black and white photo of a group of photographers!
I really like it! What do you think?
After my lunch I strolled down passed the bus station and passed a nice looking lady in a lovely red and pink dress!
I passed als a local newsagents and the tourist information office on the other side of the street!
Next I made my way down to the Strand which was full of people enjoying the good weather!
I then passed a group of people on the sidewalk feeding the pigeons!
See below a selection of photos of the Strand!
After leaving the Strand I headed on to the carpark where I left my car and intended to go home,when I saw at a distance some seagulls flying over head and children running after them!
I walked across the carpark and saw the Ocean View pub at a distance!
After that I saw seagulls and ducks in the river behind Tramore Funfair Park!
I then came across a great playground called All Aboard Inclusion Playpark Tramore!
See below a slideshow of The All Aboard Park!
I left the park then I saw the back of the Funfair at a distance and it looked impressive!
Next I came across paddle boats along the river,I think they are part of the Fairground!
After that I spotted some ballon boats in the river!
I then left Tramore and headed home to Mooncoin!
Environmental factors such as fewer hours of sun exposure during the winter also decrease vitamin D exposure.
There is growing evidence that vitamin D deficiency could be a contributing factor in the development Type 2 diabetes.
Evidence indicates that vitamin D improves insulin resistance.
Furthermore, vitamin D plays an important part in the regulation of calcium.
Calcium is the most common mineral found in our bones and helps to give them strength and rigidity. Calcium is also particularly important at the time of menopause, because calcium absorption slows down, due to low levels of oestrogen.
A deficiency in Calcium can cause bones to become brittle and therefore they break very easily. The heart, nerves and muscles rely on calcium. Calcium is also necessary for your body to form blood clots.
Babies who are just fed breast milk, consume little vitamin D3, especially if the mother is vitamin D3 deficient.
Those who continuously wear sun block, moisturisers or make up that have sun block in them.
Those with darker skin (e.g. Africans) do not absorb vitamin D3 from the sun, as easily as lighter skinned people.
Those who have gastrointestinal disorders such as Coeliac Disease (Gluten/wheat sensitivity), Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis,or Primary Biliary cirrhosis and Type 2 diabetics.
Those, who do not get the recommended daily amounts of Vitamin D3 from the sun or through food sources.
Vitamin D Requirements and Dietary Source
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. Some foods are naturally rich in vitamin D such as fatty fish such as salmon and tuna,dairy products such as skimmed milk!
Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses!
Vitamin D has been used to treat infections such as tuberculosis before the advent of effective antibiotics.
Tuberculosis patients were sent to sanatoriums where treatment included exposure to sunlight which directly killed the tuberculosis.
Cod liver oil, a rich source of vitamin D has also been employed as a treatment for tuberculosis!
There is increasing evidence linking vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), diabetes mellitus (DM), inflammatory bowel disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
You may find it surprising that vitamin D is so important for your health, especially if you’re still under the impression that it’s mostly a nutrient for your bones.
Most people also think that vitamin D is really a vitamin, but in reality, the active form of vitamin D is one of the most potenthormones in your body, and regulates more genes and bodily functions than any other hormone yet discovered!
Without this hormone, you could die, and indeed, many do die from vitamin D deficiency-related causes.
Vitamin D could rightly be described as a “miracle nutrient” for your immune system!
Having blood tests to measure the amount of vitamin D in your blood is the only way to know if you’re getting enough vitamin D or not. The blood test you need is called a 25(OH)D blood test.
You can get a blood test at your doctors or you can do an in-home test or get a test at a laboratory. All of these methods of testing should give you accurate results.
Sun exposure is the best natural source of vitamin D. During the summer months spending a few minutes in the sun is the best way for your body to produce vitamin D. It is unlikely that your skin will make vitamin D in the winter months. But, the body can store enough to last between 30 – 60 days!
Because UV exposure is also linked to skin cancer getting a balance between safe sun exposure and vitamin D production is important!
You don’t need to spend hours in the sun to produce enough vitamin D.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
A.Never let your skin redden or burn to get vitamin D!
B.Take extra care if you have fair skin because you are more at risk of sunburn!
C.Never use a sunbed to increase your vitamin D levels!
D.It is important to protect your skin to reduce skin cancer risk!
Choosing foods that contain vitamin D is an important part of maintaining a healthy vitamin D level. The best foods to help with this are:
Cod liver oil
Oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna
Other foods with small amounts of vitamin D include:
Egg yolks
Breakfast cereals that have added vitamin D – look at the ingredients to check the level!
Skimmed Milk with added vitamin D!
If you don’t know your vitamin D levels, or you have never had your vitamin D levels tested, I urge you to consider doing so very soon, as simply assuming your levels are in the healthy range is quite risky.
Vitamin D deficiency is at epidemic proportions in many regions around the world today, largely because people do not spend enough time in the sun to facilitate this important process of vitamin D production.
Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.
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