Vitamin D and Your Fertility
Updated: Feb 28, 2022
"From conception to birth, the sunshine vitamin plays a role in our fertility, pregnancy and the lifelong health outcomes of our children"
Vitamin D is well known to have a major effect on bone and muscle health and is emerging as a major vitamin in disease prevention, regulating inflammation and healthy immunity. Known as the sunshine vitamin as Vit D is synthesised in your skin from UVB rays becoming a metabolically active hormone following its stimulation from the liver and kidneys. It then goes to work attaching to any of the 200+ receptors throughout the body.
Vitamin D receptors are abundant in the reproductive system including on the ovum and the head of sperm. Vitamin D is involved in many reproductive processes and is associated with improving fertility. Women with sufficient preconception Vitamin D levels are more likely to achieve pregnancy and have a healthy birth without complications.
Heading towards the end of winter is a great time to test your Vitamin D levels via the 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test. Read more about testing for vitamin D levels here.
The optimum range for whole-body health and greater chances of pregnancy is 75 to 120 nmol/L, I would highly recommend testing if you are #TTC
Vitamin D’s role in reproduction
Vit D has a role in cell division, including the growth of sperm cells and healthy follicle formation and ovarian quality.
It can reduce insulin resistance in women with PCOS and plays a role in preventing and treating fibroids and endometriosis.
The immunoregulatory action supports implantation as maternal immunity has to shut down at key stages of conception and pregnancy.
In vitro fertilization success is shown to be higher in women with appropriate reserves of vitamin D and women Ovarian response for women undergoing ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate have a better ovarian response.
Vit D has a role in placental growth and helps the formation of skeletal development in the fetus.
While low vitamin D status is associated with pregnancy complications; pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, low term birth weight, and server postpartum haemorrhage
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If you want to prepare for conception and ensure you are nutrient replete going into pregnancy. Book an appointment for a nutritional overview and a preconception plan tailored to your needs.