Vitamin D is thought to affect fertility in different ways:
1. Hormonal Regulation: Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of hormones that are crucial for ovarian function, including those involved in the development and maturation of eggs. Adequate levels of Vitamin D can help maintain a healthy hormonal balance, which is essential for producing high-quality eggs. When testing for Vitamin D in your blood you'll want the level to be a minimum of 30ng/mL(which is associated with higher pregnancy rates) though some fertility doctors prefer it to be closer to 50ng/mL.
2. Eqq Quality and Ovarian Reserve: There is currently limited research on how Vit D levels affect egg quality specifically. That said, it is routine before patients start IVF to have their Vitamin D levels checked to make sure they are not deficient. It's also such an easy thing to fix for patients if they are borderline by increasing their D intake from 1000 IUI to 2000-3000 IUI daily, then retest a few months later.
3. Vitamin D is more closely linked with pregnancy outcome: Women with adequate levels of Vitamin D have higher clinical pregnancy rates. They also have fewer poor maternal outcomes like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. In practice I always make sure my patients D levels have been checked within the last three months. I find this to be especially important in those patients who are always tired, have dietary restrictions, those who have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months, and patients who have experienced miscarriage.
3. How is Vitamin D good for you in general?
To name a few, Vitamin D helps you have good energy and strong bones. It helps regulate your immune system, glucose metabolism and reduces inflammation. Vitamin D plays a role in healthy teeth and gums.
4. How does sunshine work with Vitamin D?
Your bare skin will absorb UV B radiation and converts it into previtamin D3 which turns it into D3. From here it is absorbed by the liver and the kidney and then circulated into your blood. For a more detailed description of the process click here.
5. How much sun exposure is recommended to get Vitamin D?
In the warmer months, spring and summer, if you get 8-10 minutes of direct sun exposure on your bare skin (no sunscreen) this should be enough.
