A brief overview of when/how vitamin D tests

The best way to establish your vitamin D levels is to take a blood test. There are several forms of vitamin D, and popular opinion suggests that the best test to take is the 25(OH) D blood test, which stands for 25-hydroxyvitamin D. 1 You can take this test either at your doctor’s or purchase an in-home testing kit 2. Both ways produce accurate results. The test involves taking a small sample of your blood via a tiny prick on the finger, which is then analyzed in a laboratory to determine vitamin D levels.  

Testing for vitamin D levels 3 has become more common and easy to do. For a time, the perception was that it was an expensive test that provided little or no definite proof for treatment. However, research 4 has shown that early testing can help with deficiency diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, testing for vitamin D levels has become more prevalent these days with an increasing number of practitioners regularly testing patients. 

The effects of vitamin D deficiency can remain hidden for many years and it’s easy to miss them. The best approach is to test for vitamin D levels twice a year to get an accurate picture: once in the middle of winter and then again at the end of the summer.