Best Labs To Check Vitamin D Level
25-hydroxyvitamin D This is the best measure of inactive vitamin D in your blood and the test most likely to be ordered by your doctor. We like to see levels between 35-60 ng/mL and around 50 in patients with autoimmune disease, as it appears to have a protective effect.
1,25-hydroxyvitamin D This is the active form of vitamin D and helps indicate if your body has appropriate amounts. This test isnt often ordered, but can be useful in helping determine stealth infections and autoimmunity. Normal levels are between 40-110 pmol/L, while levels above 110 indicate a possible infection or autoimmune disease.
What Is A Nutrient Deficiency And How Do I Know If I Have One
A nutrient deficiency occurs when a body doesnt get the necessary amount of nutrients it needs , says Michael Jay Nusbaum, MD, the medical and surgical director at Nusbaum Medical Centers in New Jersey.
Many people have vitamin deficiencies but never realize it. Those who maintain a poor diet, eat poor quality food, or fail to take supplements are most at risk. In many cases, symptoms lead to a patient getting testing, which reveals the deficiency.
Once a nutritional deficiency is detected, its treated by providing the nutrients needed in the diet either through food, supplements, or both. In some severe deficiency cases, IV infusions may be necessary to replenish what is missing, according to Dr. Nusbaum.
Broken Bones And Stress Fractures
Bone fractures that don’t heal quickly are another sign , Gittleman says.
Thats because one of the critical roles of vitamin D is to help the body absorb calcium, which supports bone health, according to the NIH. Research indicates that adequate vitamin D and calcium levels can promote healthy bones and help prevent osteoporosis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published August 2020 in Medicine found that supplementing with vitamin D and calcium reduced the incidence of both falls and fractures in the study participants.
According to the National Institute on Aging, people tend to stop building bone mass around age 30, so adequate vitamin D intake is important to keep the bones in good condition as you age.
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Treating Vitamin D Deficiency
For adults, the RDA of vitamin D is 600 IU . Foods rich in vitamin D include salmon, herring, sardines, canned tuna, oysters, shrimp and mushrooms. Or, choose cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, oatmeal and cereals that are fortified with vitamin D.
You can also get your daily dose by going out into the sunshine for 10 minutes without sunscreen .
For severe deficiencies, your doctor might prescribe a vitamin D supplement.
Unlike other vitamins and minerals, vitamin D levels are regularly tested in routine blood tests at your annual physical, so it’s easy to identify deficiencies.
How Vitamin B12 Deficiency Harms Health
In the body, vitamin B12 also known as cobalamin is especially vital to making red blood cells, and maintaining proper function of nerve cells. When vitamin B12 levels are low, a person can develop health problems related to red blood cells and nerve cells malfunctioning.
The most common problems related to low vitamin B12 levels include:
- Anemia. This means the red blood cell count is low. Red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood, so anemia can cause fatigue or shortness of breath. The breakdown of faulty red blood cells can also cause jaundice.
- Neuropathy. This means that nerves in the body are not working well. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including tingling, numbness, burning, poor balance, and walking difficulties.
- Cognitive impairment. This means that nerve cells in the brain are not working well. This can cause memory problems, irritability, and even dementia.
You may have heard that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause pernicious anemia. But in fact, the term pernicious anemia means a specific vitamin B12 deficiency caused by the loss of a bodys ability to make intrinsic factor. The body needs intrinsic factor to absorb vitamin B12 without it, vitamin B12 levels eventually drop. This often causes anemia, but sometimes symptoms of nerve and brain problems occur first.
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Why Might I Be Deficient In Vitamin D
You might think that a well-rounded diet provides the vitamin D you need, but thats not the case. You might also assume that if you wear sunscreen, you can reap the benefits of vitamin D from sun exposure, but sunscreen blocks your body from producing vitamin D as it would if exposed to sunlight while unprotected.
You might also have a vitamin D deficiency despite taking daily multivitamins because they don’t contain nearly enough vitamin D to meet the recommended intake. Even with a healthy diet, a daily multivitamin, and some sun exposure, it’s quite common for patients to suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
Healthy Body: Nutrition Basics
Sometimes feeling tired or low in spirits, with mild aches and pains, or just generally feeling unwell, is considered insignificant. While from time to time some of these symptoms are minor disturbances of your daily life other times, they could be a sign of an illness/malfunctioning that can range from a simple cold, to some vitamins deficiencies. Occasionally, these symptoms can be more serious and indicate a chronic disease in progression. For your body to be well, you have to make sure that you are eating the right food choices for you and delivering to your body all that it needs from macro and micronutrients. Everyone has heard of colds and viral infections or even chronic diseases but very few truly understand the meaning of vitamins deficiencies. Many believe that a low level of a given vitamin could only be the burden of poor countries that suffer from poverty and famine. But, the truth is far beyond such a hypothesis. Even the richest countries or people could have vitamin deficiencies. Although the Western world has plenty of food, many people are suffering from nutrient deficiencies due to changes in the quality of the food that we produce, pick or eat. Vitamin deficiency can have many causes:
1- You could be eating the wrong kinds of food that do not offer a proper nutrition to your body
2- Maybe you are following a certain diet that does restrict you from a certain group of food, which could lead to deficiencies in both macro and micronutrients.
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Folate And Your Health
Folate is one of the B-complex vitamins, a family of vitamins essential to human health. Also commonly referred to as folic acid,folate performs a number of important roles in the body. Given that fact, maintaining proper levels of it important. Here we’ll look into what can happen if you do not, detailing the symptoms of folic acid deficiency and its potential consequences, as well as how you can find out if you’re at risk.
Folate plays a variety of vital roles within the body. It is necessary for the production of red blood cells and to make and repair DNA. It is vital to proper brain and nervous system development in babies during gestation, and to maintaining brain and nervous system health and function in children and adults.
Folate is a water-soluble vitamin found in foods that include legumes, such as lentils and garbanzo, lima, kidney and pinto beans, dark green vegetables, including spinach, asparagus, broccoli and turnip greens, and citrus fruit, like oranges, grapefruit and tangerines. Additionally, many breads, cereals, flours and grains are enriched with folic acid in the U.S.
Causes of Folate Deficiency
Symptoms of Folic Acid Deficiency
Symptoms of folate deficiency are often subtle, and may include:
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
Potential Complications of Folate Deficiency
How to Find Out Your Folate Status And What to Do If You’re Deficient
What To Expect From Your Doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- Does anything seem to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Are you a vegetarian?
- How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you usually eat in a day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If so, how often, and how many drinks do you usually have?
- Are you a smoker?
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Vitamin B 12 And Your Health
Evidence continues to build that low levels of the vitamin B12 lead to confusion and memory problems in older individuals. These symptoms are being misdiagnosed, by doctors, as Alzheimer’s disease or as simply the cognitive decline associated with old age. The important question is why aren’t more people tested for vitamin B12 deficiencies? A B12 deficiency can occur, with little warning, causing many confusing symptoms that can be avoided with a simple nutritional testing to identify any potential deficiency that would then be easily treated.
Vitamin B12 Is Essential for Good Health
Vitamin B12 is a vitamin that is essential for maintaining good health. The body uses B12 to make red blood cells and DNA. It also plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system. We absorb vitamin B12 from the food we eat, particularly from meat, shellfish, eggs, milk, and cheese, eggs. However, as we age our ability to absorb B12 declines as does our consumption of foods that are rich in this vitamin. A serious B12 deficiency typically results in anemia but, low levels of B12 can result in symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, shakiness, low blood pressure, incontinence, depression and cognitive issues including memory problems.
Are You At Risk of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Vitamin B12 found in supplements and fortified foods is synthetic and can be absorbed without the help of stomach acids.
Vitamin B12 Supplements
Types Of Doctors And What They Do
Doctors choose their medical specialty in their third year of medical school. Many of us are familiar with some of the different types of doctors, since weve seen specialists for a variety of reasons, but may not be as familiar with what those specialists do.
In addition to choosing their field of practice, doctors can also specialize further after their residencies by proceeding with a fellowship. For example, a surgeon can further specialize in orthopedic surgery, or an oncologist can specialize in a certain type of cancer. While we dont have every breakdown of every specialist, you can find a list of common types of doctors below, which can serve as a point of reference when researching your future specialty.
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Individuals About To Initiate Treatment With Antihormonal Effects
We suggest obtaining a baseline 25D level in all individuals who are initiating therapy that could impact bone mineralization. This means that premenopausal women undergoing chemotherapy or medical or surgical ovarian ablation and postmenopausal women beginning aromatase-inhibitor therapy should be tested. Estrogen upregulates both the 1–hydroxylase enzyme that converts 25D to 1,252D and increases levels of vitamin D receptor protein., Thus, depletion of estrogen may unmask a subclinical vitamin D deficiency, which may increase the severity of muscle and joint symptoms experienced by women entering menopause or undergoing aromatase-inhibitor therapy. For cancer survivors, 25D levels drawn in late winter or early spring will provide an estimation of trough levels of vitamin D.
Types Of Anemia Their Causes & Symptoms
Do you feel lethargic and weak all the time? Do you have a pale complexion? They could be signs of anemia. In medical terms, anemia is a state of health wherein the body has a low count of healthy red blood cells. These red blood cells are responsible for supplying oxygen to the different parts of your body. Having anemia definitely makes you feel less energetic and tired.
The symptoms of anemia can vary from person to person. The symptoms mainly depend on the type of anemia and any underlying medical problems related to the patient such as ulcers, menstrual problems, brain hemorrhage or cancer.
Types of Anemia
There are several types of anemia and they could be long-term or short-term in nature. Anemia could also indicate the onset of a grave illness.
Let us explore some of the types of anemia:
- Sickle Cell Anemia This condition is also known as sickle cell disease. According to medical science, it is a genetic disorder. In sickle cell anemia, the shapes of the red blood cells are like the crescent moons. They feel rigid and get stuck in between small blood vessels, thus blocking the blood flow. Sickle cell anemia is incurable but you can reduce the chances of developing associated complications with the inherited disorder.
- Bone Marrow Anemia Anemia can also be caused by grave illnesses such as myelofibrosis and leukemia. These cancers reduce the production of blood in the bone marrow. This type of anemia can also be life-threatening.
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If not diagnosed and treated, vitamin C deficiency can also lead to shortness of breath, nerve problems, high temperature and fits . Bleeding inside the brain and around the heart can cause death in some people with untreated vitamin C deficiency. However, this is extremely rare.
What Is The Treatment For Vitamin C Deficiency
The treatment for vitamin C deficiency is to replace the vitamin C that is lacking in your diet. This can be achieved by taking vitamin C supplements and by eating a diet rich in vitamin C. You may be referred to a dietician for help. After a period of time, vitamin C supplements can usually be stopped. However, it is important to continue to eat a diet rich in vitamin C after the supplements are stopped. This will help you to avoid becoming deficient in vitamin C again.
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How To Avoid Hitting The Wall: Nutrition Guide For Athletes
Most athletes, especially endurance athletes, have had the experience of hitting the wall in terms of performance during a sporting event or while training. So, what doeshitting the wall mean? It is a physiological reaction to long periods of strenuous exercise when the body starts rebelling against itself in one or more of several ways. Your body does not like to be pushed to its limits. Here, we will get into the details of this frustrating problem, including what happens when athletes hit the wall, what can cause it and how to avoid it.
What Is Hitting the Wall?
The term hitting the wall means a lag in performance that cannot be resolved at that moment, no matter how hard one pushes the body and mind. It is the reason that many marathon runners take an average of two minutes longer to complete the second half of a race than they do the first half. So, what happens when an athlete hits the wall? For some athletes, it is about the muscles rebelling, where the mind is still willing but, the body gives out. For others, mental exhaustion could take hold, impairing coordination and performance.
What Can Cause It?
How to Avoid Hitting the Wall
Common nutritional deficits Low intake or poor absorption of B-vitamins, which are essential to energy metabolism, can cause endurance issues, as can low levels of vitamin D, which can cause muscle weakness. Getting vitamin levels checked can detect these issues.
Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies And Supplements
The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be locked away in the liver and body fat, and stored for a long time. The water-soluble vitamins, including B-complex and vitamin C, are mostly only stored for a shorter period.A vitamin deficiency takes weeks or months before it will affect your health. For instance, it would take months of no vitamin C before you developed scurvy.
Vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended in certain circumstances to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as folate for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Others who may be at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency include:
- pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding
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Vitamin D Deficiency And Health Conditions
More studies on the role of vitamin D and health are needed. Specifically, studies looking at if taking vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of certain diseases or ailments are lacking. Many studies have found an association, but not a cause-and-effect relationship, between people with specific diseases and having low vitamin D. What scientists are sure of, however, is that when vitamin D deficiency is severe, the risk for bone diseases such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults increases, per the NIH.
Below are examples of associations between low vitamin D and specific diseases:
What Tests Are Done Before A Doctor Prescribes Growth Hormone Injections
If you are looking for the kind of doctor who can write you a prescription for growth hormone injections, chances are you are a man or woman between the ages of 35 and 65, who has started to feel the symptoms of adult onset growth hormone deficiency.
The signs of adult onset, or age-related growth hormone deficiency include:
- Weight gain, even when eating right and exercising
- Muscle loss
- Foggy thinking or other cognitive issues
- Reduced skin health
Once you find a growth hormone doctor who will evaluate your symptoms, that does not mean you will necessarily leave his or her office with a prescription for growth hormone injections.
Prescriptions for HGH injections are very strictly regulated. Your doctor will need to take a complete medical history and physical exam, which will then be followed with a specialized blood test to check for your HGH level. Since HGH levels change throughout the day, your doctor cannot simply draw blood, and test it for your HGH levels. This works for diagnosing other low hormone levels such as testosterone, but will not work to get an accurate picture for HGH.
To test for growth hormone deficiency, doctors use a growth hormone stimulation test. In this test, you are given a medication that induces your pituitary to release HGH. Once you take the medication, then your blood is tested to see if your body reacted properly to the introduction of the growth hormone stimulant.
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