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Takes Two to Tango — Men's fertility matters
13 Jan 2020
Vitamin D and Recurrent Miscarriage
13 Jan 2020
Many just know of Vitamin D as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ but did you know that research shows that healthy preconception vitamin D levels may reduce the risk of miscarriage, especially in those women who have already experienced a loss?
What is Vitamin D?
There are four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K.
Vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods and added to others, known as ‘fortified foods’- dairy products, cereal, orange juice and soy milk.
Vitamin D is also made by the body. When UV rays from the sun strike the skin, the body is triggered to make vitamin D. Because Winter is long and the days are short, about 32% of Canadians test below the medical model’s ‘normal range’.
Now, vitamin D is especially unique in that it functions as a hormone in the body. There are two forms that the body requires: D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 has been shown to be very important in the maintenance of health and wellbeing as it has very important jobs to do within the body. They include:
- regulation of calcium absorption (bone health)
- modulation of cell growth
- regulation of the immune system
- reduction of inflammation
- regulation of sleep and mood
Healthy vitamin D levels and reduced pregnancy loss
In a 2018 study, published in The Lancet, it was found that “sufficient preconception 25-hydroxyvitamin D (≥75 nmol/L) was associated with increased likelihood of pregnancy and livebirth. Increased vitamin D concentrations before conception, but not in early pregnancy, were associated with reduced pregnancy loss.” 1
Another 2018 study, found that Vitamin D promotes “a more favorable environment for pregnancy through various mechanisms, such as enhancement of the shift toward Th2 cells and regulation of immune cell differentiation and cytokine secretion. Therefore, it seems that vitamin D deficiency sways the balance toward a worse outcome and may play a part in recurrent pregnancy loss. ” 2
Dosage and preparation for pregnancy
Because Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it is very important to NOT take too much. Too much Vitamin D is toxic to the body.
The first step to determine what dose is right for you, is to meet with your medical doctor or naturopathic doctor and ask them for a lab requisition to test your vitamin D levels.
Our Naturopathic Doctors, here at Natural Choice Medical Clinic, will go over your Vitamin D lab results with you and together you will decide what supplement is best, what dose is best and what form is best (pills or injection).
As numerous studies mention, it is very important that pre-conception vitamin D levels are optimal. Our Naturopathic Doctors encourage fertility patients to supplement for three to four cycles BEFORE trying to conceive. This will optimize egg quality, uterine health and immune function so as to help you get pregnant and stay pregnant.
Ready to start preconception care?
If you have suffered the loss of an unborn child, children or are just wanting to prevent pregnancy loss and optimize prenatal health, please feel free to book an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors. Each of our naturopathic doctors offers a complimentary meet and greet appointment so that you may find the practitioner with whom you want to share your pregnancy journey. We offer fertility care for both men and women.
Let us help you grow your family.
In health,
The Naturopathic Doctors of Natural Choice Medical Clinic
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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
1 . https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(18)30153-0/fulltext#back-bib8