Vitamin D Testing And Treatment – What You Need To Know
While the “normal” reference range is considered to be anywhere from 20–100 ng/mL, the latest scientific research shows the optimal range for health maintenance is 50–70 ng/mL. At these higher levels numerous health benefits can be gained — better bone strength, mood, energy, hormone performance, inflammation reduction, cancer prevention, and more! (Visit the GrassrootsHealth website to download a chart showing levels needed to provide preventive and healing benefits.)
For healing more serious medical conditions, some research is showing you may need to keep your vitamin D level up even higher. If you have a serious medical condition such as cancer, we urge you to work with a functional medicine practitioner to reach and maintain the levels most helpful for you as an individual.
How much does a vitamin D test cost?
We wish there was an easier answer to this question, but the reality is that today in the US, the cost of vitamin D testing can vary significantly. It could cost you nothing to a minimal $25, to even more than $250, so you may want to bring the subject up with your healthcare provider when you ask for testing. There are a number of reasons for this variability. For instance, cost can be higher if the lab where you get your test drawn does not perform vitamin D testing in-house, and has to send your sample out. Costs are also higher at labs that have not automated their vitamin D testing technology. In either case, testing can be labor-intensive and thus more expensive.
If cost is a consideration for you, one option is to ask your healthcare provider if she or he would be willing to negotiate with a lab for lower-cost “volume” testing for their patients (including you). Not only will you benefit from this, but it could encourage your practitioner to test more patients who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, and those patients, too, will be better able to afford the testing for this widespread nutrient deficiency.
Different insurance carriers and policies can vary widely in coverage for the test as well. If you have a health insurance, you can check with your health insurance representative for policy specifics.
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Another alternative that works for some people, particularly those without insurance or where the policy coverage is limited, is to search for an online lab that performs vitamin D testing. Here’s roughly how this works: you pay on-line; they ship you the kit; you bring the kit to your healthcare practitioner and have the sample drawn in their office; then you forward the sample to the on-line lab. Results can be copied to both you and your provider, and you can work with your provider from there for interpretation and follow-up. (If you use an online kit, just make sure you’re working with a credible lab — credentials may be easier to validate if the lab is based in the US).
Is testing worth it? What do I get in return for my investment?
To answer the first part of that question: Yes, we think so! Put simply, testing will inform you and your healthcare provider on the status of your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
But more importantly, that information is invaluable for determining your next step – what to do to get your levels up to optimal. You are one among millions, if yours are not: using very conservative estimates, some 25% of adults in the US are deficient. That means the health of at least 12 million people could be profoundly enhanced on the basis of this simple test, together with easy, safe, affordable vitamin D supplementation. Doesn’t that make sense?
Recall that optimal vitamin D levels will give you optimal calcium absorption, put the breaks on bone-breakdown, reduce blood pressure, decrease risk of various cancers, retard the progression of inflammatory factors like CRP and inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis and diabetes, and reduce incidence of autoimmune illness. And that’s just a start. We hope this information helps you carefully entertain the value of testing!
How do I know how much vitamin D to take to get replete?
How much supplemental vitamin D3 to take depends on how much is in your blood. And how much your body needs to get your levels higher differs from person to person.