If your diet doesn't contain enough fish or foods fortified in vitamin D, or you lack sunlight exposure, your body's vitamin D levels may become too low to maintain good bone health. The National Institutes of Health guidelines indicate your body needs to maintain blood levels in the range of 30 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL to 100ng/mL of vitamin D for normal bone growth and development, and prevent bone loss.
Vitamin D Test
The best way to measure the amount of vitamin D in your body is through a blood test called the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. This measures the amount of vitamin D in your body that you get from sunlight, food and supplements.
Low Levels
Although a level between 15ng/mL and30ng/mL is considered to be adequate for overall bone health, according to the National Institute of Health, it's not optimal. Healthy aging, lack of sunlight, certain medicines and gastric bypass surgeries can cause your vitamin D levels to fall below normal. Your doctor can determine the reason your vitamin D levels are low and suggest ways to increase your levels.
Inadequate Levels
Every stage of life may require more vitamin D or less vitamin D for overall good health, but those cutoff levels haven't been determined yet. Blood levels between 10ng/mL to 15ng/mL are inadequate levels for maintaining strong bones and preventing bone loss, according to the National Institutes of Health. At this level, deficiency disease can occur, such as osteoporosis. According to the fact sheet by the NIH, it's predicted that older people with hip fractures most likely have vitamin D blood levels less than 12ng/mL.
Deficient Levels
A blood level less than 10ng/mL is considered to be in the deficiency range, the NIH says. Deficient levels of vitamin D can cause diseases in infants, children and adults. Rickets is a vitamin D deficiency in infants and children that causes weak, deformed bones. An adult form of rickets causes the bone to become soft and brittle.
Who is At Risk?
Doctors don't routinely screen patients for a vitamin D deficiency unless you're in a certain group who are considered to be at risk for a deficiency. Breast-fed infants need vitamin D supplement because breast milk doesn't provide a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Healthy people 50 and older may not be adequately absorbing enough vitamin D from the sun. If you avoid sunlight exposure or are homebound, you may not get sufficient amounts of vitamin D. Certain medical conditions such as liver disease, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease or gastric bypass surgery can cause inadequate absorption of vitamin D. If you're in one of these groups, ask your doctor to test your vitamin D levels.
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