Vitamin D...Are you Deficient?

Yup, no cutesy or creative title for this one. Straight to the point I guess? Or maybe i'm just slacking.

I was reading a friends blog the other day ( http://notcrazyjusthypo.blogspot.com/ ) and one of her readers mentioned Vitamin D issues. That reminded me about my experience with Vitamin D and I want to share the little bit of info I have gathered about it.

Basically, contrary to popular belief, we don't get the majority of our Vitamin D from drinking milk or other foods, we get it from the sun. We adsorb it through our skin. And we, as a society, do not spend alot of time in the sun anymore. So its actually VERY common for Americans to suffer vitamin D deficiencies. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that influences virtually every cell in your body and has been positively linked to health conditions ranging from cancer to heart disease. Including Infertility!!  Some signs of a Vitamin D Deficiency are fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, insomnia, poor immune system, mood swings, and depression.

Vitamin D deficiency is very common in women with PCOS and can greatly increase your risk of infertility. Vitamin D can help to regulate the ratios of hormones in the body including progesterone and estrogen. also, women who have insulin resistance or diabetes along with their PCOS could have even lower numbers, as Metformin (commonly prescribed to treat these conditions) can leach vitamin D from our systems. A study i found of 67 infertile women showed that only 7% of them had normal levels of Vitamin D. The rest were either low or clinically deficient!! That's 93% that were below the normal levels!! 

Vitamin D levels can be checked by your Reproductive Endocrinologist, Fertility Specialist, OB/GYN or just your regular Primary Care Physician! Its important to be sure they are checking your Vitamin D3 and not D2.  I decided to have mine checked after a "cyster" in one of my forums informed me that after several failed cycles, including a failed IVF, she was tested for Vitamin D deficiency and sure enough was critically low. After treating the deficiency and starting a daily regimen to keep her levels normal, she was later able to conceive with oral medications alone! My PCP ran my test and after getting my results, started me on a script fro a high dose of 50,000iu Vitamin D  1x a week for 6 weeks. After that she said I could take a OTC supplement. I am currently taking a 4,000iu Vitamin D immunity complex  daily, that I buy at Walgreens. I have definitely noticed that when i take it regularly, i feel much better, I have more energy and just feel different. If i start missing doses I start to feel a little tired and lethargic again. It hasn't magically cured my infertility yet, but Im 100% sure that this is a key factor in why our cycles thus far have failed! Other ways to boost Vitamin D include adding more eggs, fish, and dairy to your diet or taking cod liver oil. Spending 20 minutes in the sun will also boost your bodies natural production of vitamin D3. Forget the sunscreen though since it will  block the ultraviolet light that produces Vitamin D. Being out in the sun for just a few minutes a day, you're body can make 10,000 to 25,000 IU of Vitamin D.

I recommend that everyone have their levels checked. Even if PCOS or Infertility are not issues for you. It can improve your moods, energy levels, immune system, PMS symptoms, irregular periods, joint pains, and is linked to SOOO many other health issues.

**http://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-vitamin-d.html**for more information on Vit. D&Fertility