Vitamin D
The 25-hydroxy vitamin D Blood test is the most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body and your deficiency. It helps control calcium and phosphate levels in the body. The function of vitamin D is to help with calcium uptake during bone formation. Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D supports healthy bones. Additionally, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and other properties that play a role in maintaining normal muscle, immune, and nervous system functions. And to detect toxicity, a condition in which there is an excess of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with rickets. An illness in which bone tissue does not mineralize properly, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms and Health Risks Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. Yet, even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Those who are at high risk of having low levels of vitamin D include: People who do not get a lot of sunlight. Older adults People with obesity Infants that are breastfed only (the formula is generally enriched with vitamin D) People who have had gastric bypass surgery. People who have an illness that affects the intestines and makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, like Crohn's disease. What happens during a Vitamin D Test? During…