With all of the recent news stories about the potential benefits of Vitamin D—namely strong teeth and bones, a reduced risk of cancer, and an improved mood—it should come as no surprise that the vitamin may be beneficial to pregnant women.
But I was blown away by a recent study that showed a connection between IVF success rates and Vitamin D.
Could upping my intake really help me conceive?
The study found that women with a higher vitamin D level in their serum and follicular fluid (the fluid in a developing ovarian follicle) are “significantly more likely to achieve clinical pregnancy” following an IVF-embryo transfer.
Lubna Pal, MBBS, an author of the study and director of the program for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) at the Yale Fertility Center, cautions that we don’t have enough data to definitively support the connection. However, she theorizes that Vitamin D affects the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), and research suggests that it may stimulate suppressor Th2 cells, which help the body maintain a pregnancy.
The potential correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and failed IVF cycles is a revelation that merits further study, and Dr. Pal says this may help explain why ethnic minorities have lower success rates in IVF. In particular, African American patients were found to have lower IVF success rates, and likewise, they were found to have lower levels of vitamin D. This particular deficiency is a well-known phenomenon, since people with darker skin who live far from the equator are particularly at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.
In the meantime, Dr. Pal warned that women of color aren’t the only ones that need to have their Vitamin D levels checked. According to her, 70-80% of the population are deficient in Vitamin D (which is a shame because there are so many non-skeletal benefits to the vitamin only now being discovered). She advises women to get plenty of Vitamin D when trying to conceive, and once they do conceive, use vitamin D to avert preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
Next: The magic amount
Comments (1)
I agree that supplemental Vitamin D (D3, that is) is vital. And the sun helps a lot. But how do you know if you have enough? Obviously, it makes a big difference if you live in Seattle or Sacramento.
What you should do is whenever your doctor orders a blood test for you for ANYTHING, insist on also getting your vitamin D checked. This often costs extra, and if your insurance does not cover it, consider paying for it yourself. Be sure to ask for the 25(OH)D test, and not the 1.25(OH)D test, as the former is a better marker of overall D status. You want to have a reading of at least 50 ng/ml.
Also, there is a lot of good information at vitamindcouncil.org.