Does a lack of Vitamin D affect your fertility?
The answer is YES it does!
If you do not have enough Vitamin D in your body you are putting your fertility, general health and wellbeing at risk.
What does Vitamin D do? It helps absorb calcium into your bones to keep them strong and healthy. It also stop the cell from growing abnormally and can stop the cells becoming cancerous.
There is evidence now that Vitamin D is more of a hormone and it has a direct effect on all the cells in your body for your immunity, if there is not enough vitamin D in the cell it affects the action of the cell. Can cause abnormal growth or allows the cell to die.
For fertility this has an effect on the sperm cells, count, morphology and motility of the sperm. Ovary function of producing mature eggs. When implantation takes place a lack of vitamin D can impair growth of the foetus.
More than 40% of women are defiant in vitamin D of childbearing age.
What else does vitamin D do –
- Vitamin D reduces inflammation. So can help with Poly Cystic Ovaries Syndrome and endometriosis two the most common causes of infertility. A study done with women with PCOS has shown a vitamin D deficiency is a factor in most cases.
- Vitamin D increases testosterone in men.
- Vitamin D supports the uterus when implantations takes place vitamin D fights any possible infection that can occur during implantation.
Couples who are undergoing IFV treatment – if the women’s vitamin D level is high she has a greater chance of conceiving than the women or has a low vitamin D levels.
Studies show that women and men who increase their vitamin D intake increase their chances of getting pregnant by 6%.
Chinese Medicine and Vitamin D
Vitamin D needs your kidney and liver energy to digested vitamin D into your cells and bones. It turns Vitamin D into D3.
With the pressures of everyday life we all put our liver energy under strain. Chinese medicine treatments support liver energy which help to process vitamin D your spleen Qi (energy) takes over and transports D3 around your body. Liver energy is very important for reproduction. The liver meridian runs through your genitals up though the womb and ovaries. Our liver is responsible for smooth flow in our systems this can be easily disrupted with stress, anger and frustration. Which can affect ovulation and a regular menstrual cycle. (see our blog about the liver Qi energy)
Kidney energy is the fire that keeps us alive when this fire dies down it affects the way we function day today. For those of you trying to conceive you need to make sure you kidney energy is at its peak. Myferiltebody.com has designed a combination of acupressure points, diet and meditation to help tonify you kidneys and increase your odds of a pregnancy.
Signs of Vitamin D deficiency but not all of you will show any symptoms.
- Tiredness
- Weak painful muscles
- Weight gain
- High Blood Pressure
- Bladder problems
- Infertility
- Poor restless sleep
- Wake during the night
- Pain in your joints
- Chronic pain
- Poor concentration
- Headaches
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Stress
- Anger/frustration
When do you need to take Vitamin D –
If you feel you are getting enough sun but you still don’t feel right – you will need to support your liver and kidney energy with acupuncture and vitamin D supplements. The best is D3
If you feel you are not getting enough sun. You will need to start taking Vitamin D3 this is the King of Vitamin D. Also take vitamin K this will help your liver energy. I would recommend you get a blood test done from your GP to check your vitamin D levels. Also start acupuncture treatments this will help rebalance your kidney and liver Qi energy to help absorb the vitamin D you get from the sun, certain foods and supplements.
You have had a blood test and your vitamin D levels are fine. But you still are not functioning as well as you could. Your digestive system is not absorbing the vitamin D, we need to look at diet changes, acupuncture and vitamin D supplements. #lucytownlsyacupuncture.com #theclonmelacupunctureclinic.com #myfertilebody.com can help.
Ways to get Vitamin D
- Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel
- Milk that is fortified with vitamin D
- Orange juice need to check that it has fortified vitamin D
- Supplements
- Vitamin D supplements D3 is the King
- Eggs
- Some cereals can be fortified with Vitamin D
- Cod liver oil
- Expose your skin to sun everyday between 15 to 20 minutes without sunscreen
More signs you could be Vitamin D deficient
- You catch a lot of coughs and colds
- Suffer from sore muscles
- Have problems with fertility both male and female factors
- Depression
- Over 50
- Cardiovascular disease
- Poor bone quality/strength
Please feel free to write any comment how Vitamin D has helped you or maybe it hasn’t. looking forward to your comments.
With love
Lucy x
Lucytownsley.com fertility coach
