Research suggests that for many women, Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin - may be the answer to getting pregnant faster and easier! Here's an expert opinion on the topic. By Niels H. Lauersen, M.D., Ph.D.
Editorial Commentary
If you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS –Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome – and you’re having a problem getting pregnant, the solution may be simpler than you think. Indeed, there is good evidence to suggest that you can boost your fertility and increase your chances for conception by a significant margin, if you simply increase your intake of Vitamin D. How can this help you?
As you no doubt already know, PCOS is a condition that, while it affects ovulation, is really related to a condition known as insulin resistance - the body's inability to use insulin effectively enough to clear sugar from the blood. But insulin resistance is also the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes - and therein lies the link to vitamin D.
What’s the connection?
Over the past several years a number of important studies have emerged suggesting that vitamin D can help improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin in those with type 2 diabetes. In one study published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that among those folks who were vitamin D deficient, increasing supplement intake of this nutrient improved the body’s ability to use insulin by a whopping 60%.
This is dramatic, particularly when compared to the effects of Metformin, the drug currently prescribed to increase insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes as well as PCOS. In studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Metformin was only able to increase insulin sensitivity by about 13 percent - far below what was achieved in the vitamin D study.
Since the similarities between type 2 diabetes and PCOS are so striking, it makes sense that both groups would benefit equally from an increase in vitamin D.
Adding more proof to the theory: A group of Yale researchers found that out of 67 women who had problems getting pregnant, 93% were found to be vitamin D deficient. Not surprisingly, a good portion of the women they were studying also had PCOS.
According to researcher Dr Lubna Pal, “ Of note, not a single patient with either ovulatory disturbance or polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated normal Vitamin D levels; 39 per cent of those with ovulatory disturbance and 38 per cent of those with PCOS had serum 25OH D levels [vitamin D] consistent with deficiency. “
In another study, women with PCOS who lost their menstrual cycle and were considered infertile, resumed their periods and became pregnant when vitamin D levels were increased!
All of this is particularly important in light of the fact that today most women are considered to be vitamin D deficient. Why?
One of the key ways the body makes vitamin D is via exposure to sunlight. Since we are all more cognizant of the risks of skin cancer, not only are we spending less time in the sun, but we're also more vigilant about applying sunscreen. That's good to reduce the risk of skin cancer, but in the process we also hamper our body's ability to manufacture vitamin D on a cellular level.
Combine this with a diet that is generally low in vitamin-D rich foods and it’s easy to see how a significant deficiency of this nutrient can develop – one that is not only likely to impact women with PCOS, but all women of childbearing age.
This is the reason I have long recommended that increasing levels of vitamin D is one way that all women, and particularly women with PCOS, can immediately improve their fertility profile and get pregnant faster.
How much vitamin D do you need to make a difference in your fertility? I routinely recommend 1,000 units of vitamin D daily in summer months (when there is more sun) and 2,000 units daily in winter months, when there is less sun exposure. Some research now suggests that 2,000 units or more daily is important to take year round - and I believe that for some women this may be the required amount.
If you are trying to get pregnant you should also add vitamin D rich foods to your daily diet, including fortified low fat milk, fortified orange juice, and fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel, tuna, sardines and herring. You can also find cereals fortified with vitamin D and some D-rich eggs. These foods should be eaten in addition to the supplements, in order to ensure you reach your full fertility potential.
Dr. Lauersen is the co-author of the new book "The New Fertility Diet Guide: Delicious Food Secrets To Help You Get Pregnant Faster." To learn more about how diet can help you get pregnant, visit : FertilityDietGuide.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment