What Are Your Vitamin D Levels?

Wondering what your vitamin D levels are? There's only one way to find out – get your blood levels checked.

Call your doctor and ask if he/she can check if you're vitamin D deficient - and if your insurance will cover it. If not, don't worry. You can order a test kit online (see vitamin D testing).

If your doctor does offer this service, make sure he/she orders the right test for you.

You'll want the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, listed as 25(OH)D. Sometimes doctors order the wrong test (the 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D) so make sure you're getting the right one.

So what should your levels of this nutrient be?

Your results will come back as a number in either ng/ml or nmol/L.

Here's what the values mean:

  • Less than 10 ng/ml (< 25 nmol/L) – severely deficient (rickets)
  • Between 10-32 ng/ml (25-80 nmol/L) – moderately deficient
  • Between 33-49 ng/ml (82-124 nmol/L) – sufficient for strong bones, but no other health benefits
  • Between 50-100 ng/ml (125-250 nmol/L) – optimal for disease prevention

Most doctors will say that levels at or above 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L) are fine, but vitamin D facts are showing us that is no longer near good enough.

Vitamin D receptors have been found all throughout the body, which means vitamin D deficiency symptoms impact many aspects of our health.

We need to strive for over 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L) year round.

Even levels of 200 ng/ml (500 nmol/L) do not show any signs of toxicity.

For most of us, that means a vitamin D dosage of at least 5,000 IU daily.

- - Vitamin D Levels