Vitamin D testing
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin which plays an essential role in absorbing calcium to maintain strong bones and has a host of other functions within the body including immunity and muscle function.
Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight through your skin, from dietary sources or from supplements.
Vitamin D can be found in certain foods including:
- Fortified foods e.g. cereals
- Cheese
- Mushrooms
- Egg Yolks
- Fatty fish e.g. mackerel, tuna, salmon
- Beef liver
Vitamin D deficiency is estimated to affect around 1 in 5 people in the UK and most people are unaware as the symptoms are often subtle.
Common risk factors include:
- Age – higher risk in those aged over 65 and children under 5.
- Overweight or obese
- Staying indoors with little exposure to the sun – e.g. housebound or in a care home etc
- Having dark skin
- Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
We offer two Vitamin D blood tests which involves a finger prick:
- The basic test shows one of three results - if the Vitamin D level is deficient, insufficient or sufficient. After completing the test, the results will be available in 10 minutes.
- A more comprehensive test which is sent off to a laboratory will return the results within around 10 days. This result will be a specific number to show your actual Vitamin D level at time of testing.