Vitamin D Blood Test. Pay the $50...but just once.

Ontario Health Care (OHIP) will no longer pay for vitamin D blood tests except under extraordinary circumstances. Osteoporosis and osteopenia apparently are not included in the exceptions despite the importance of vitamin D for calcium absorption.

The blood test costs about $50 and is well worth the investment...if you are using it to evaluate your supplement program. Most people living in the northern regions of North America are deficient in the winter, so there is no reason to take a test to prove that you are part of the crowd.

So here is how to maximize your investment and save your time and money:

* Get at least 15 minutes of sun each day in the summer to build up your reserves.
* Begin taking 5,000 IU daily in October.
* Take your vitamin D test in late February or March when blood levels are usually the lowest.
* -Ask the doctor for your results and write them down!

The acceptable range is 75-200nmol (30-80ng/ml). You really don't want to be at the bottom of that range. The Vitamin D Council suggests maintaining a level of 125 nmol/L (50 ng/ml). If you have succeeded in maintaining that level throughout the winter, you know you are taking the right amount of supplements. Paying for further tests should not be necessary...unless the doctor suggests otherwise.