Vitamin D is essential to the body. Its main role is to assist the body in absorbing calcium from the intestines. Calcium is critical for formation of bones which keeps us strong and healthy. Not getting enough vitamin D has serious consequences and can result in bone loss in adults and children.
In addition, vitamin D supports the following:
- Assists in helping muscles move
- Helps the immune system fight off bacterial and viral infections.
- Supports brain cell activity
- Has natural anti-inflammatory properties
- Assists hair growth
Vitamin D also plays a huge role in fertility for both men and women, namely low vitamin D can impact the success of IVF. Typically vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or are associated with higher pregnancy rates. Studies have shown that women with normal vitamin D levels are more likely to have successful IVF transfers. Low vitamin D can also be associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance and metabolic issues in women and spermatogenesis issues in men.
A trial that took place in Canada recently looked at the effects of vitamin D and pregnancy rates with in vitro fertilization. Of the two groups, “Women with sufficient levels had significantly higher rates of clinical pregnancy per IVF cycle started (52.5%) compared with women with insufficient levels.” The conclusive findings suggested that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D are more likely to achieve pregnancy with IVF.
Another study on the effects of vitamin D on Fertility, Pregnancy and PCOS showed that women with normal vitamin D levels were 4X more likely to achieve pregnancy from IVF.
There are three main methods of getting vitamin D; food, sunlight and supplements. Experts believe that it’s difficult to receive the necessary amount of vitamin D through food alone and with most of us indoors working at a desk all day, we might not be getting enough sunlight either, not to mention the Bay area fog that tends to blanket us year-round and especially in the summer months. Supplementation seems to make the most sense. After we review your levels, we can make an appropriate recommendation.
At Tao to Wellness when we begin to work with fertility patients, it’s crucial that we view your most recent labs including vitamin D, in past cases we’ve found that in roughly 85% of our patients vitamin D levels were quite low and had an impact on fertility. It’s also important to note that vitamin D is stored in fat so finding the right dosage is integral. If you are trying to conceive and curious, please connect with us, we’d love to help. 
