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Over the past year, we know that it has been difficult to get out and about for varying reasons. A large portion of the UK population has spent more time than they normally would inside; as a result, they will have significantly reduced their vitamin D intake. If you are unsure whether your vitamin D intake may have suffered during lockdown – we are here to help. Cadham Pharmacy are now offering a vitamin D Home Test Kit in Glenrothes, to help identify and advise on potential vitamin D deficiencies.
Essentially, vitamin D helps to regulate the quantity of phosphate and calcium in your body. Calcium and phosphate are nutrients that are required for bone, tooth and muscle health. A lack of said vitamin can provoke bone deformities in children, such as rickets. Also, it can cause bone pain in adults, as a result of a condition called osteomalacia.
Babies need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day, up until the age of 1. Adults, as well as children aged 1 and older, require 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
Most people should get all the vitamin D they need from the sunlight present from late March/ early April until the end of September. However, in order to maintain your vitamin D intake in the cold winter months, you may need to supplement your vitamin D in other ways. These include:
– Red meat
– Supplements
– Liver
– Egg yolks
– Fortified foods, such as some breakfast cereals and fat spreads
– Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring
It is difficult for people to get sufficient vitamin D from food by itself; therefore, the NHS recommends that everyone should consider taking a 10 microgram daily supplement during the Autumn and Winter seasons. This is especially recommended if you are at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Being at risk of vitamin D deficiency is encapsulated by the following conditions set out by the Department of Health and Social Care:
– Living in an institution, such as a care home
– Often wearing clothes that cover the majority of your skin whilst outdoors
– Not going outdoors frequently, which could be due to reasons such as shielding or being housebound
– Having an African, African-Caribbean or South Asian background, as you may not get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight alone
If you belong to any of these categories, it is recommended that you take a daily 10 microgram supplement throughout the year.
Please note: You should not take more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D a day, as this could cause an excessive calcium buildup. This can potentially weaken your bones, as well as damaging your kidneys and heart.
We are pleased to be able to offer the Your Personalised Vitamins vitamin D home testing kit in-store. This test represents the world’s first quantitive test kit that can be done from the comfort of your own home. It has been devised to ensure that you are taking the appropriate dosage of vitamin D; following your results, you will be recommended an adequately personalised vitamin D supplementation programme to suit your needs. With this new opportunity for regular testing, we can also make sure that you are kept at optimum levels of vitamin D intake throughout the year.
The test is quick, safe and gentle, and all it requires is a tiny pinprick of blood to complete. The kit includes everything needed to carry out the test, and your results will be revealed within 15 minutes via a comprehensive, easy-to-use app. Said app will analyse your sample for you, allowing you monitor your results and subsequent treatment plan on the go. Guidance regarding the app, as well as the testing procedure, can be found in the video above.
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