We all know sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D, but did you know that not getting enough could impact your fertility?
Several foods and supplements may help to increase your vitamin D intake. When sunlight hits your skin, it naturally helps your body make vitamin D. Those who are suffering from vitamin D deficiency are prescribed vitamin D supplements along with a proper diet plan. Let us explore how vitamin D affects fertility in detail.
What is Vitamin D? Where You Can Find it?
A fat-soluble vitamin, naturally present in a few foods for regulating your bones and teeth’s strength. Even though some foods are rich in vitamin D, the major source that gives abundant vitamin D is sunlight. Vitamin D helps support your immune system and brain health, along with many other cellular functions in your body. It also enables your body to absorb calcium, which is essential for strong bones.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
In ancient times our ancestors worked in agricultural fields and got enough sunlight that is required for the human body. Children also used to play outside by avoiding sitting in front of screens. These outside activities help them to acquire the necessitated vitamin D that supports their systems.Â
But today, people are used to working in a closed environment to avoid outside environmental factors. The change in food habits that don’t include seafood and dairy products also influences deficiency of vitamin D. These lifestyle changes have drastically increased the number of vitamin D-deficient people in India.
Some common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:
- Loss of hair, or alopecia
- Getting ill frequently or effortlessly
- Cuts from depression that require time to heal
- Feeling worn out or exhausted frequently
- Experiencing digestive problems
- Pain in the bones or back
- A heavy muscle pain
Vitamin D in Female Fertility and Pregnancy
Vitamin D is essential for female reproductive health. It plays a crucial role in fertility and pregnancy outcomes. The low level of vitamin D can be considered one of the risk factors associated with female fertility. Vitamin D aids in conceiving but is more essential for having a healthy pregnancy.Â
Many researchers and studies have found that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D have an increased chance of fertility when compared to those who have lower levels of vitamin D. From this we can understand that vitamin D supports the fertility of women.Â
Low vitamin D levels may lengthen the time to ovulation and overall menstrual cycles. Studies suggest vitamin D could improve fertility and reduce miscarriage risks, with higher pregnancy success in women taking supplements. While promising, more research is needed. Checking and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels is advisable.
Vitamin D in Increasing Follicle Health
Vitamin D levels are connected to IVF pregnancy results for anyone, including various factors like age, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, or count of transferred embryos. There is always a strong correlation between vitamin D and IVF treatment. The increase in vitamin D increases the chance of IVF success rate.
Each 1 nmol/L increase in vitamin D in the follicular fluid can improve the outcome of the IVF procedure. This fluid is present in the surrounding layer of eggs in the ovaries. This implies that even a small increase in vitamin D can enhance IVF outcomes.
Vitamin D in Improving Egg Quality
According to some studies, women with low vitamin D levels may be more susceptible to uterine fibroids (noncancerous growths in the uterus), PCOS (a disorder that impairs ovulation), and low AMH (a hormone that assesses your egg count).
AMH, which indicates a woman’s remaining egg count, is produced in part by vitamin D. Your chances of becoming pregnant may rise if you take more vitamin D because it may boost the quality of your eggs.
To put it briefly, enough vitamin D intake may support healthy egg counts and improve situations that may make conception more difficult.
Sperm Health and Vitamin D
When it comes to sperm health, vitamin D plays a crucial role in male fertility. Similar to how egg quality affects women, vitamin D also influences testosterone levels in men, which in turn impacts sperm quality. By supporting both sperm and egg quality, vitamin D can help improve egg quality and benefit couples undergoing IVF treatment, contributing to more positive pregnancy outcomes.
How to Increase Vitamin D to Promote Fertility?
If you are trying to get pregnant or already conceived, try to have more vitamin D in your diet and expose yourself to some early morning sunlight to easily conceive or support your foetal development. As it is helpful for both the conceiving and pregnancy process, you may follow the following steps to acquire more vitamin D in your day-to-day activities:
Simple Methods for Increasing Vitamin D:
Get Some Sunlight: Every day, spend roughly 20 minutes in the sun during early morning, not in the mid-day sunlight. It’s among the easiest ways to increase your vitamin D levels organically.
Include Vitamin D-rich Foods in Your Diet:
- Fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, and tuna.
- Red meat
- Egg yolks from the liver
- Foods that have been fortified, such as cereals, milk, or plant-based substitutes
Think about supplements that may support you. A nutritional supplement may be helpful if these items aren’t your favourites or if you’re still not getting enough. Adults should aim for 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily. Avoid taking too many supplements, as they could cause negative effects. Consult your doctor before beginning any supplements.
Conclusion
To conclude, when you don’t know the causes of your unexplained pregnancy, try to find out the solution in every aspect. Vitamin D leads to positive pregnancy results and live births for women more than those who have low-level vitamin D. Consume vitamin D-rich foods to resolve your deficiency. This may be helpful if you are trying to conceive or are already in your IVF treatment. It may also enhance the chances of your pregnancy outcome in your IVF procedure by increasing the quality of sperm and egg.
