Published on April 28, 2026
An Inspiring Journey to Advance Vitamin D Education Worldwide, by Jen Aliano, Executive Director, GrassrootsHealth
Key Points
- GrassrootsHealth was honored on the international stage as Executive Director Jen Aliano traveled to China to keynote a major vitamin D symposium focused on advancing research into practice.
- Jen’s presentation highlighted the vision of founder Carole Baggerly, the strength of GrassrootsHealth’s scientific panel, and the organization’s growing global impact through education, tools, and advocacy.
- The enthusiastic audience response and high-level collaboration among global experts demonstrated rising worldwide momentum for evidence-based vitamin D testing, education, and optimization.
- From Chongqing to Beijing, the trip reinforced that the mission to eliminate vitamin D deficiency is crossing borders and inspiring healthier communities around the world.
Written by Jen Aliano, MS – Executive Director, GrassrootsHealth
I am excited to share about an unforgettable trip to China from which I recently returned, where I had the honor of serving as a keynote speaker at the International Clinical and Academic Development Exchange Conference on Vitamin D3, hosted by the company D-Sorb. The conference was held in Chongqing with the theme “Leading the Tide – Moving to New,” which perfectly reflected the energy, momentum, and global collaboration taking place around one of the most important public health nutrients of our time – vitamin D.
I was invited to deliver a keynote presentation which we titled: “Guiding Decisions for Moving Vitamin D Research into Public Health & Practice: From Cognition to Action.”
It was truly meaningful to bring the story of GrassrootsHealth to an international audience and share how our organization was founded with the mission of moving vitamin D research into practice. I spoke about the vision of our founder, Carole Baggerly, the extraordinary value of our world-renowned scientific panel, our accomplishments over the years, and the tools and initiatives we continue to build to help individuals, practitioners, and policymakers better understand and apply vitamin D science into every day practice.
I also highlighted several of our practical resources, including our evidence-based testing and education programs, the Vitamin D*Calculator, our citizen-science research model, and our growing commitment to advocacy and public awareness.
A Moment I’ll Never Forget
At the close of my presentation, the audience rose from their seats and came to the front of the room to take a group photo with me in celebration of our collaborative message: let’s all move vitamin D research into practice! The room was filled with enthusiasm, warmth, and genuine excitement. It was one of those rare moments where you can truly feel that people are ready for change and ready to act!
Needless to say, I left the stage full of gratitude and deeply inspired.
Global Leaders United by a Shared Mission
What also stood out to me was the incredible professionalism and vision behind the event itself. This was a thoughtfully organized international symposium that brought together respected experts, retailers, clinicians, and leaders committed to advancing vitamin D science. I was especially honored to join other distinguished speakers, including colleague Dr. Richard Cheng, physician, researcher, and member of the GrassrootsHealth Scientists’ Panel, and Dr. Zhiwei Ning, Chief Physician of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital. Both Dr. Cheng and Dr. Ning contributed their expertise to the GrassrootsHealth 2024 Virtual Forum on Vitamin D, making this gathering feel like a continuation of the global dialogue we began building together just a couple years ago.
This Trip Mattered
Following the conference, I received a heartfelt message from Ms. Tan Lihong, a representative of D-Sorb, expressing why the visit was meaningful not only to D-Sorb, but to the broader movement for health in China. Her letter in full is below.
I am writing to express our sincere gratitude for your valuable visit and wonderful sharing at the International Vitamin D Symposium. We are delighted that you accepted the invitation from D-Sorb to attend. Your visit carries profound and far-reaching significance, which is reflected in the following aspects.
She additionally emphasized that Beijing, with a population of more than 23 million people, holds enormous potential as a demonstration center for nutrition and health innovation. With growing rates of chronic disease and “sub-health” conditions, there is tremendous need for effective, science-based strategies that can safely and easily improve wellness at scale. For this, vitamin D is key.
This message should resonate with the entire GrassrootsHealth audience, who should all be well aware that Vitamin D is not just a local issue. It is a global public health issue; one that crosses borders, languages, and cultures.
Perhaps when cities like Beijing embrace testing, education, and personalized vitamin D optimization as part of the standard of care, the ripple effects can extend across China, throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and ultimately around the world.
Hospitality, Culture, and Gratitude
Beyond the conference itself, I had a wonderful stay in China. Everyone I met was incredibly kind, welcoming, and generous. The hospitality was exceptional, the food was unforgettable, and I felt genuinely honored throughout the entire experience. I shared beautiful meals, cultural experiences, sightseeing opportunities, and meaningful time connecting with my fellow speakers and attendees. It felt like a true exchange of ideas, friendship, and shared purpose.
As an added gift, I was invited to Beijing after the conference to tour some of the country’s most iconic treasures, including the Great Wall and other historic sites and temples. The entire trip built onto an important concept that I emphasized in my presentation: Building healthier futures through education, collaboration, courage, and persistence.
This trip also reminded me that the mission of GrassrootsHealth has never been more relevant. Around the world, people are seeking better answers, more prevention, and practical tools that empower them to take charge of their health. Vitamin D remains one of the most evidence-backed and underutilized opportunities in modern health care.
I return home energized, incredibly grateful, and even more committed to our mission:
To move research into practice.
To empower individuals with knowledge.
To build healthier communities.
And to eliminate vitamin D deficiency worldwide.
To my new friends in China: thank you for the warm welcome, the inspiring conversations, and the opportunity to stand together for a healthier future with vitamin D, nutrition, and beyond. I look forward to next time, and I will remember you and this trip from now on!
A Letter of Reflections from China
Feedback on the Impact and Value of This International Visit
Dear Ms. Aliano,
I am writing to express our sincere gratitude for your valuable visit and wonderful sharing at the International Vitamin D Symposium. We are delighted that you accepted the invitation from D-Sorb to attend. Your visit carries profound and far-reaching significance, which is reflected in the following aspects.
1. Building an International Bridge and Enhancing Professional Authority.
As a representative of GrassrootsHealth, your presence has provided strong professional endorsement for the D-Sorb brand and effectively enhanced its international influence. Meanwhile, this visit has built a bridge for communication between Chinese and global experts in the vitamin D field. With a team of more than 40 scientists on the GrassrootsHealth panel, your participation has greatly strengthened the authority and credibility of vitamin D-related initiatives in China.
2. Introducing Cutting-Edge International Experience to Empower Brand Strategy Upgrade.
Through this visit, D-Sorb has introduced GrassrootsHealth’s years of public education experience in the vitamin D field into China, providing solid support for the brand’s strategic upgrade. This vision of being rooted in China while embracing the world helps expand the industry’s horizon and highlights D-Sorb’s forward-looking approach.
3. Sharing International Achievements to Add Depth for the Conference and Team.
For the attendees, this was a valuable opportunity to gain direct insights into the latest international research findings and learn from advanced programs like D*action. Your professional presentations and training helped elevate the team’s expertise. And your sharing added depth and substance to the entire conference, thereby strengthening partners’ trust in the brand. For frontline retail stores, the sessions equipped them with stronger professional credentials when engaging with customers.
4. Bringing Insights into North American Practices and Scientific Tools.
You shared insights into the public awareness and market promotion status of vitamin D in North America, and compared them with the situation in China, exploring how North American promotion methods could be adapted locally. For example, your “Vitamin D*Calculator” can work out the appropriate supplementation dosage based on individual circumstances at any time, fully demonstrating professionalism and rigor, and providing a valuable reference for the Chinese market.
5. Clarifying Common Misconceptions and Defining Optimal Standards.
During the conference, you pointed out that misunderstandings about vitamin D are not unique to China, but a common phenomenon worldwide, and provided a thorough explanation on this topic. You also emphasized that the optimal level of serum vitamin D should be between 40–60 ng/ml for general public health, supported by sufficient research evidence. In addition, you reaffirmed the importance of vitamin D testing. Against this background, the free testing services provided by D-Sorb represent a significant contribution to the entire Chinese market, especially when compared with the high cost of testing internationally.
6. A Rigorous Attitude and Valuable Resources Left Behind.
Furthermore, your rigorous, earnest and highly responsible attitude is admirable. You specially left a batch of professional materials for in-depth research in the future, which has made the significance of this trip to China even more profound.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude again for your dedication and contributions to the International Vitamin D Symposium. Your insights and support have laid a solid foundation for our future cooperation. Looking forward to keeping in touch and working together to promote the development of the vitamin D field.
Best regards,
Tan Lihong
D-Sorb Wellness Technologies (Qingdao) Co., Ltd
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D for Your Health Concerns?
Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Choose which additional nutrients to measure, such as your omega-3s and essential minerals including magnesium and zinc, by creating your custom home test kit today. Take steps to improve the status of each of these measurements to benefit your overall health. You can also track your own intakes, symptoms and results to see what works best for YOU.
Enroll and test your levels today, learn what steps to take to improve your status of vitamin D (see below) and other nutrients and blood markers, and take action! By enrolling in the GrassrootsHealth projects, you are not only contributing valuable information to everyone, you are also gaining knowledge about how you could improve your own health through measuring and tracking your nutrient status, and educating yourself on how to improve it.
How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?
Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!
STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health
STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study
STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there
STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)
