Want to test your vitamin D yourself?

Thanks to our vitamin D test kit, you can now test yourself at home for a vitamin D deficiency. You simply do this with a finger prick, using the included lancet. Then you send the test kit back to us, and our lab technicians will test your sample for a vitamin D deficiency.

Please note: avoid squeezing your finger too hard, as this breaks cells (hemolysis) and can distort the values.

Where is vitamin D found?

The most important source of vitamin D is sunlight. Under the influence of UV B light, the skin can convert cholesterol into vitamin D. However, this form of vitamin D is not active and still needs to be processed by the liver and kidneys before the active variant of vitamin D is available to the body.
Light skin produces vitamin D more easily than dark skin. Also, with increasing age, the production of vitamin D through the skin decreases. The main reason for the widespread vitamin D deficiency in the Netherlands is therefore a lack of sunlight, especially in the winter months.
In addition, your body gets vitamin D from another source, namely food. Foods containing vitamin D include: fatty fish, cheese, eggs, and meat.

What is vitamin D good for?

Vitamin D is a vitamin that is important for various processes in the body. The most well-known association is of course with healthy and strong bones. In addition, vitamin D is needed for the healthy functioning of the kidneys and parathyroid gland, a well-functioning immune system, and it plays a role in muscle function. So, it's an important vitamin! Nevertheless, an estimated more than 60% of Dutch people have a vitamin D deficiency.

What causes a vitamin D deficiency?

A vitamin D deficiency is common in many people. This is because the human body mainly produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Because we cover our skin with clothes or spend little time in the sun, the body often doesn't get enough opportunity to produce and store the vitamin.

What can you do to prevent a vitamin D deficiency?

The most important source of vitamin D is sunlight. The easiest way for the body to produce enough vitamin D is therefore exposure to sunlight. Eating enough vitamin D-rich food can also contribute. Sometimes, however, the vitamin D concentration remains insufficient. In that case, supplementation is a good solution. Vitamin D can be administered in drops, pills, or injections.

Do you have a vitamin D deficiency or an excess?

Wondering if you have a vitamin D deficiency or an excess? These are the symptoms in both situations:

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle cramps
• Frequent bone fractures in the elderly
• Curvature of the limbs in children (rickets)

Symptoms of too much vitamin D:

An excess of vitamin D results in an excess of calcium. This leads to the symptoms below.

• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Mental disorders and confusion
• Pain
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Anorexia (lack of appetite)
• Fever
• Chills
• Thirst
• Vomiting
• Weight loss