Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

This Study Proves Vitamin D Lowers Signs Of Inflammation After Menopause

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Author:
August 09, 2024
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
By Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.
woman drinking juice
Image by UCA films / Stocksy
August 09, 2024

We’re conditioned to associate vitamin D with bone health. While this vitamin is absolutely essential (along with calcium) to maintain bone density, its benefits don’t stop there. Vitamin D also plays an outsized role in managing inflammation. 

Inflammation tends to creep up with age1 and is a known risk factor for almost every chronic condition out there. The fact that 29% of U.S. adults2 have deficient levels of this vitamin (and another 41% have insufficient levels2) should be concerning—especially for postmenopausal women who are at a higher risk for heart disease.

And researchers of this systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics specifically looked at this relationship between vitamin D and inflammation in postmenopausal women3. And they found some promising results. 

About the study

Overall, researchers analyzed data from seven randomized controlled trials that all included: 

  • A group of women receiving a vitamin D supplement and one that wasn't
  • Women in the postmenopausal stage of life (meaning it had been at least one full year since their last menstrual cycle)
  • A main health outcome of inflammation levels—measured through a C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test—or changes in blood pressure

CRP is a general marker of inflammation. While it doesn’t tell you what is inflamed in the body, healthy levels of CRP are associated with a balanced inflammatory response, whereas elevated levels are linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes4 (like coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke). 

While a variety of factors can lead to elevated CRP levels, belly fat5 is a contributing factor. As many women experience at least a 5 to 10-pound weight gain during the menopause transition—that tends to settle in the abdomen thanks to shifting hormones—this could be the first time many women start to experience low-grade inflammation6

So this study was conducted to see if vitamin D supplementation consistently resolved this inflammation.

Vitamin D and inflammation

And sure enough, the pooled analysis of data from 758 postmenopausal women showed that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced CRP levels. 

On average, CRP levels decreased by .65 mg/L for those who received a vitamin D supplement compared to those who didn’t. This may seem like a small number but considering that any value from .3 to 10 mg/L7 is considered minor to moderate elevation and any value of 10 mg/L is marked elevation, that decrease is quite impressive.  

Supplementation had the most impact on women when:  

  1. Vitamin D supplements were given in the form of vitamin D3 (which is more readily absorbed and used by the body than vitamin D2)
  2. When the dose of the supplement was at least 1,000 IU a day taken for at least 3 months
  3. A woman’s vitamin D levels were deficient to begin with (blood levels less than 20 ng/mL)

What about vitamin D and blood pressure?

As we mentioned earlier, this study also looked at the impact of vitamin D on both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but no significant changes were observed. 

Past research on this topic has shown that low vitamin D levels are linked to high blood pressure8 (as vitamin D helps with calcium regulation and blood vessel health and dilation). And a broader meta-analysis from 2016 also found that supplementing with vitamin D did significantly reduce blood pressure in adults 50 years or older9. But studies on this in postmenopausal women seem to be less conclusive. 

Overall, if you have hypertension and low vitamin D, it’s still important to correct those low levels

How to supplement with vitamin D

All the studies analyzed in this meta-analysis included a range of different vitamin D supplements—some women were given small daily doses of 400 IU per day and others were given 40,000 IU a week. 

Overall it found the sweet spot to be at least 1,000 IU per day of vitamin D3, but the ideal dose for not only achieving adequate vitamin D levels (30 ng/mL) but an optimal level of 50 ng/mL is around 5,000 IU a day. We rounded up our expert-vetted top picks for vitamin D supplements here

It’s always a good idea to know what your vitamin D levels are, so before you start a supplement or to check your progress on one, talk to your doctor about getting a vitamin D blood test or try one of these at-home options.

The takeaway

After you reach menopause, you may start to experience health concerns that you once had—like weight gain and higher levels of inflammation.

The good news is that there are habits that can help counter them. Taking a daily vitamin D supplement (especially if you have insufficient levels) is an easy and effective way to address these concerns (in addition to helping you sleep). 

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Health
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.