02/11/2020
3 Reasons to Take Vitamin D If You Have PCOS
Improves Fertility
Vitamin D has been shown to play a role in egg quality, development, and overall fertility. A study published in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology showed that infertile PCOS women had improvements in menstrual regularity after 3 months of supplementation with 1000 milligrams of calcium and 400 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D.2
Vitamin D status has been shown to improve fertility and pregnancy rates during assisted reproduction therapy. In a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology, infertile women with PCOS who underwent Clomid stimulation had more mature follicles and were more likely to get pregnant when they had had higher vitamin D levels.3 Conversely, those who were deficient in vitamin D had less mature follicles and lower pregnancy rates.
Improves Metabolic Markers
Studies show an inverse relationship between vitamin D and metabolic risk factors such as insulin resistance, cholesterol, triglycerides, testosterone, and weight. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, overweight women with PCOS who were vitamin D deficient and took vitamin D supplementation for eight weeks saw improvements in insulin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels.4 Lubna Pal and colleagues found that supplementing with vitamin D and calcium for 3 months significantly reduced testosterone and blood pressure in women with PCOS
Better Mood
Women with PCOS have been shown to suffer more from depression than those without the condition. L.J. Moran and colleagues found that vitamin D deficiency was a significant independent predictor of depression in both women with and withoutPCOS.6
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How Much Vitamin D Is Needed?
The optimal amount of vitamin D for women with PCOS is unknown. The daily recommended intake for vitamin D is 600 IU each day, but this may not be sufficient for many women with PCOS.
Sources of Vitamin D
Few foods contain a significant amount of vitamin D other than milk fortified with vitamin D, eggs, cereals with vitamin D added, and fatty fish. While skin exposure to the sun provides as much as 90% of the body’s vitamin D,7 production is limited with sunscreen use and geographic location.
Detecting Vitamin D Levels
Blood levels of vitamin D can be measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Vitamin D deficiency is defined as 25(OH)D levels below 20 ng/mL. The Endocrine Practice Committee has suggested a daily vitamin D intake of 1,500 to 2,000 IU to maintain blood levels consistently above the optimal value of 30 ng/mL.