“Over three out of every four Americans now have vitamin D levels below what we believe is necessary for optimal health. African-Americans and Hispanics are at particularly high risk — nearly all have suboptimal levels.”

Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Read article.

You could be vitamin D deficient if you:

1. Rarely go out in the sun
2. Always wear makeup and/or sunscreen on all exposed areas when outdoors
3. Do not take a multivitamin
4. Do not take a vitamin D supplement
5. Do not eat a vitamin d-rich diet (oily fish, fish, liver, egg yolks, and so forth)
6. Have dark skin and do not live near the equator
7. Are older than 60 and live in a high latitude or deliberately avoid the sun

Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency

1. Age. The older you are, the harder it is for your body to make vitamin D from sunlight.
2. Lifestyle. the more time you spend indoors during the daylight hours, the less opportunity you have to make vitamin D.
3. Geographical location. If you live in a place with relatively long wingers, you get less sun over the course of the year because the sunlight isn’t strong enough to make vitamin D in the winter.
4. Race. People with very dark skin, especially those of African descent, find it difficult to make vitamin D from limited sunlight (their ancestors evolved in a part of the world where sunshine was available year round).
5. Culture. Certain cultures require that their women cover themselves entirely in heavy clothing that blocks out the sun.

Taken from: The UV Advantage: The Medical Breakthrough that Shows How to Harness the Power of the Sun for Your Health

Here’s three easy ways to get yourself and your family tested for vitamin d deficiency >

1. If you have health insurance, you can ask your doctor to order this exact test:

25-hydroxyvitamin D test, also called a 25(OH)D.

Your results should be between 50–80 ng/ml, year-round for both adults and children.  If you come up deficient, follow these guidelines found at the Vitamin D Council.

2. Order an in-home test through the VitaminDCouncil.org.  They’ve arranged for reduced rates – you can get one test for $65.00 or 4 tests for $220.00.   Click here for details about the test, and how to order.

3. Go to GrassRootsHealth.net and join D*action.  This is what I just did.  You have to register with the site with an email and password, then fill out a short questionnaire.  After that you can purchase your Vitamin D test for a mere $30.00.  The results will be sent directly to you.  You have the opportunity in another 6 months to do it again.  Their goal is to gather information for 5 years and stop the Vitamin D Deficiency epidemic before millions more lives are needlessly lost.  As of this writing, a full 60% of those tested through D*action have been Vitamin D Deficient.  Are you?  Are your kids?  Please check, and pass the link on to everyone you care about.

Join D*action - Get your vitamin D tested today.

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