How does Vitamin D affect fertility?
No matter what season it is, our chances of getting enough Vitamin D are so low given how much time most of us spend indoors. With up to 50% of the Australian population having insufficient levels of Vitamin D, it’s super-duper important for ladies and gents to get this one checked and sorted in general and especially to help increase fertility naturally!
In this article we’ll look at:
What does Vitamin D do in general?
How does Vitamin D help increase fertility naturally?
Why is it important to monitor our Vitamin D levels?
What does Vitamin D do in general?
Vitamin D has a really big impact in our bodies, but nothing immediately visible on the outside. Vitamin D helps to drag calcium into your bones - keeping them nice and strong! It also helps with mood regulation. Did you know that Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with depression?
Not only that, but Vitamin D also helps regulate the immune system. As we know, having a happy, healthy immune system affects everything from egg quality to reduced risks in pregnancy and likelihood of birthing an actual, tiny human.
Vitamin D regulates your immune system, which helps increase fertility naturally
Our immune system is there to help protect us from a whole range of bugs out there and it helps keep things in check.
Vitamin D helps regulate your immune system. This makes sense as you'd be getting the least Vitamin D in winter and that's when you get the most colds!
Vitamin D regulates your immune system by regulating your T cells. T-cells are the part of your immune system that helps ward off infections. It’s also the part that goes into overdrive in autoimmune conditions.
When your immune system is in overdrive, it can raise your risk of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss.
Why is it important to monitor Vitamin D levels?
In this 2018 study of over 1000 women, researchers found those with sufficient Vitamin D levels (above 75nmol/L) were associated with increased fertility and live birth. Interestingly, those in the study who corrected their Vit D levels BEFORE conception vs whilst pregnant were associated with less pregnancy loss.
This study from Curtin Uni in WA found that Vitamin D levels affected IVF success rates. Those with Vitamin D deficiency were "less likely to develop mature eggs and would produce poor quality embryos". This makes sense too, as we shared last week, low Vitamin D levels affect your AMH levels.
The 2019 Cochrane review of 22 trials of over 3000 women found "supplementation with vitamin D alone during pregnancy probably reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and the risk of having a baby with low birth weight compared to placebo or no intervention"
If having sufficient Vitamin D levels helps with egg quality, embryo health, helps to increase fertility, the birthing process and is even associated with lower risk factors in pregnancy, we’d say it’s really important to have really good levels!
What’s next?
Now you’ve got all this new information, you might be wondering what your next step should be.
Gest tested. Some people need a little Vitamin D, some people need a lot. Either see your GP for an easy blood test or get it done privately with no appointments and results emailed to you in a couple of days. Don't forget to organise a retest in a couple of months to make sure what you’re doing is working. This is incredibly important.
Make sure your levels are well above 75nmol/L. The reference ranges on your blood test are for everyone (70-year-old men, too!), and aren’t specific for optimal fertility and pregnancy. The above research showed levels above 75nmol/L were associated with an increased likelihood of pregnancy and live birth, so go with that! Ideally, above 100nmol/L rather than 50nmol/L (the recommendation on pathology results).
Get some sunshine! There are apps that track if you’ve got enough sun exposure based on your geographical location and skin type. If you’re worried, balance that info with the Cancer Council’s recommendations. In Melbourne in winter, however, you’re not likely to get enough Vitamin D without sun.
Watch what you eat. For extra diet support for your Vitamin D levels, make sure to include some tuna, salmon, cheese, egg yolks or ghee for extra Vitamin D!
Supplement! Sunshine and diet changes are great to help maintain levels, but to really improve your Vitamin D levels, it’s likely you’ll need to supplement. Again, test your levels and retest them to ensure you’re making progress.
If you’re not sure or you want help to increase fertility naturally, book a consultation with us - we can help you monitor and improve your Vitamin D levels!