The vitamin D test measures, directly in blood, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage form that reflects sun exposure, diet and supplements over recent weeks to months. Practitioners use it to check status before advising on sun, food or supplements, and to recheck after a change. Season, latitude, assay method and recent loading doses all affect it, so trends are best compared within one lab.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Measurements required | Vitamin D only |
| Sample and collection | Blood draw at a collection centre |
| Preparation | This test doesn't need fasting on its own. |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days |
| Available through | Vitamins & Trace Elements, part of the Baseline Health Check. Also in: Full Body Health Check, Energy Panel, Weight Insight Panel, Weight Management Test, Essential Nutrients Test, Vitamin D Test. |
| Pricing | Included in the $99 Baseline Health Check |
| Results | Returned in the Vively practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers |
What are the Vitamin D reference and optimal ranges?
| Typical lab reference | Vively optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 50 to 200 nmol/L | 75 to 125 nmol/L |
Labs differ in assay and range, so read the result against the range printed on the client's report (RCPA guidance). The optimal range is a tracking target, not a treatment threshold.
Check a client's Vitamin D result
Enter the value from your client's lab report to see where it sits against the typical lab range and the Vively optimal range.
A guide only, not a diagnosis. One result is a starting point: read it with symptoms, history and a repeat test. Labs differ, so check the result against the range on your client's report. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
How do you arrange Vitamin D testing through Vively?
- Get verified. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Choose a panel. Log in to the practitioner platform and pick a panel that includes Vitamin D, or build your own. It is included in the $99 Baseline Health Check.
- Client collects. Your client collects at a partner collection centre, with their request on their phone or printed.
- Review results. Results come back to you in the practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers, ready for the follow-up consult.
Which Vively panels include Vitamin D?
Log in to the practitioner platform to view a panel in full, or build and save your own from 100+ tests and panels.
- Baseline Health Check74 markers across 11 lab groups$99
One fasting blood draw.
Full Blood CountUrea, Electrolytes & CreatinineLiver Function TestsCalcium, Phosphate & MagnesiumLipid StudiesDiabetes & Glycaemic StudiesIron StudiesThyroid Function Tests+3 moreLog in to view this panel - Log in to view this panelEnergy Panel6 markers · NutrientsPrice on sign-up
- Log in to view this panelWeight Insight Panel8 markers · Heart & metabolicPrice on sign-up
Why does the optimal range sit there?
Our 120 to 200 nmol/L band sits well above the 50 nmol/L bone-health floor, to give clients a buffer through winter.
The Australian and New Zealand position statement (Nowson et al., Medical Journal of Australia, 2012) treats 50 nmol/L at the end of winter as sufficient, with 10 to 20 nmol/L more at the end of summer for the seasonal fall.
The Australian D-Health trial (Neale et al., 2022) found no fall in all-cause mortality with monthly supplementation in older adults, and the 2024 Endocrine Society guideline does not endorse a target level.
Track progress towards 120 nmol/L, and do not chase it with ever-higher doses.
What should Vitamin D be read with?
- ContextVitamin D below 30 nmol/L with raised ALP
Possible increased bone turnover or osteomalacia; needs GP review with calcium and PTH.
- LowLow vitamin D with high HOMA-IR or fasting insulin
Often seen with higher body fat, which holds vitamin D in adipose tissue and slows the response to intake.
- LowLow vitamin D with low ferritin and low B12 or folate
Raises the question of malabsorption, including coeliac disease; discuss with the client's GP.
- LowLow vitamin D with low magnesium
Magnesium is a cofactor for vitamin D activation, so low magnesium can blunt the response to supplements.
- ContextVitamin D above 250 nmol/L
Usually reflects high-dose supplementation; needs GP review with calcium, especially with nausea, thirst or kidney stones.
What can affect a Vitamin D result?
- Season and latitude: levels peak in late summer and fall through winter, more so in southern states
- Assay method: immunoassay and LC-MS/MS results can differ, so compare trends from one lab
- Recent supplements, especially weekly or monthly loading doses, raise 25(OH)D for weeks
- Higher body fat, darker skin, older age and covering clothing lower levels for the same sun exposure
- Pregnancy and the oral contraceptive pill raise vitamin D binding protein, which can lift total 25(OH)D
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Below 30 nmol/L, the deficiency threshold in the Australian position statement, especially with bone pain, falls or muscle weakness
- Above 250 nmol/L, or any high result with raised calcium
- Low vitamin D in pregnancy, or in clients with osteoporosis, kidney disease or malabsorption
- No rise after about 3 months of GP-agreed supplementation, which can point to an absorption problem
How should a client prepare for a Vitamin D test?
Copy or print this to send to your client.
Preparing for your Vitamin D test
- This test doesn't need fasting on its own.
- If your practitioner has requested the Baseline Health Check, fast for 8 to 12 hours before a morning collection (water is fine).
- Tell your practitioner about any vitamin D supplements you take.
- Vitamin D changes with the seasons, so retesting at the same time of year makes results easier to compare.
- Take your pathology request to any of 4,000+ collection centres. Bring it printed or on your phone.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Results usually take 3 to 5 business days and come to your practitioner. Book your results appointment for after that.
How do practitioners use Vitamin D with clients?
Record the month of collection with every result: February and August readings are hard to compare, and the late-winter value better shows the client's low point. Retest no sooner than 8 to 12 weeks after a change.
Vitamin D FAQs
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order a vitamin D test through Vively?
Yes. Add it to a client panel on the Vively practitioner platform. It is part of Vitamins & Trace Elements in the $99 Baseline Health Check, and is also in Full Body Health Check, Energy Panel and Weight Insight Panel. No account yet? Request free access.
When should I retest vitamin D after a change?
At 8 to 12 weeks at the earliest. 25-hydroxyvitamin D has a half-life of roughly two to three weeks, so a new intake level takes around three months to plateau, and testing earlier tends to understate the final level. Retest in the same season as the comparison sample where you can, or note the season change on the result.
Is a vitamin D of 60 nmol/L a problem?
Not for bone health. 60 nmol/L is sufficient under the Australian position statement and sits within the lab range. It is below Vively's optimal range of 75 to 125 nmol/L, so read it against season, sun exposure, body composition and symptoms. A 60 at the end of summer suggests a lower winter value, which is worth tracking.
Does the season change how I read a vitamin D result?
Yes. Levels peak in late summer and fall through winter, more so in southern states. The Australian and New Zealand position statement treats 50 nmol/L at the end of winter as sufficient and suggests 10 to 20 nmol/L more at the end of summer. Record the month of collection so a summer result is not mistaken for the client's winter level.
Why might vitamin D stay low in a client who is taking a supplement?
Higher body fat holds vitamin D in adipose tissue and slows the response to intake, and low magnesium can blunt it because magnesium is a cofactor for activation. Low ferritin, B12 or folate alongside raises the question of malabsorption. If there is no rise after about 3 months of GP-agreed supplementation, discuss it with the client's GP.
References
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. RCPA Manual: Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D).
- Nowson CA, McGrath JJ, Ebeling PR, et al. Vitamin D and health in adults in Australia and New Zealand: a position statement. Medical Journal of Australia. 2012. Source
- Neale RE, Baxter C, Romero BD, et al. The D-Health Trial: a randomised controlled trial of the effect of vitamin D on mortality. Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. 2022.
- Demay MB, Pittas AG, Bikle DD, et al. Vitamin D for the prevention of disease: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2024. Source