Less Pain with Vitamin D?
As many of you know, those participating in the D*action project complete a comprehensive health questionnaire, which is required along with each testing sequence. This data allows us to analyze and report how vitamin...
Assessing Sun Exposure: Skin Type, UV Index, and Duration
Sunshine is important for health, but before you soak up the sun’s rays it’s important to assess your situation so that you don’t burn. Sun exposure needs to be individualized according to skin type,...
How to Improve Your AA:EPA and Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratios
In previous posts, we have discussed what optimal omega-3 levels are by looking at the Omega-3 Index, and how to improve your Omega-3 Index. While the Omega-3 Index is often considered the most important...
How much time do GrassrootsHealth participants spend in the mid-day sun?
Since we know that sun exposure is an important factor in the natural synthesis of vitamin D, we ask our D*action participants a few questions about their sun habits. In each questionnaire, participants are...
Are vitamin D levels increasing in the United States population?
The results of a study comparing vitamin D levels in 1998-2000 vs. 2009-2011 among middle-aged women participating in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) were published this month (April 2019) in...
Do GrassrootsHealth participants change their vitamin D status and supplement use after their first test?
GrassrootHealth believes that the key to moving research into practice is to equip individuals with the knowledge needed to take charge of their own health. By providing people with information about the health benefits...
What does your dietary omega-3 intake look like?
Omega-3 status can be assessed by measuring the amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in red blood cells, which is called the Omega-3 Index. The primary food source of EPA and...
Two Tests That Could Predict Your Future Health
Chronic, low-level inflammation has been linked to a number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The higher the inflammation levels, the higher the risk of developing chronic disease. Sometimes an individual will...
Does your nutrient intake match a healthy population?
In 2017, GrassrootsHealth expanded the supplement section on their health questionnaire to include nineteen nutrients. Today, we will provide a summary of what we found so far about supplement use among GrassrootsHealth participants. What...
Update on the Vitamin D Testing and Supplementation Program at MUSC (Part 2)
In September 2015, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) initiated a new standard of care for pregnant women that included routine vitamin D testing and supplementation to reduce preterm birth. Results from year...