Vitamin D Supplements Can Affect Fertility: True Or False?

Just take it from mbg's director of scientific affairs, Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN: On the mindbodygreen podcast, she calls vitamin D and fertility a very leading-edge (and promising) area of research.  

As for women, research shows vitamin D deficiency may impact fertility outcomes in women3 (and for what it's worth, almost half the population4 of the U.S. is insufficient and almost one-third are deficient5). Plus, vitamin D status is important during pregnancy: Healthy levels are linked to babies' birth weight, healthy teeth, and cognition6.*

Science and clinical expertise indicate that a 25(OH)D level of 50 ng/ml plus is the optimal goal for sufficiency, which is difficult to achieve through food and sunshine alone—that's where high-quality vitamin D3 supplements come into play; specifically, the latest research suggests 5,000 IU of D3 per day is the most effective supplement dose.* 

As Ferira declares, "Vitamin D sufficiency doesn't just mean you're meeting a 25(OH)D level or cutoff. It means your bones, muscles, immune cells, brain, heart, liver, gut, reproductive organs, and many more cells, tissues, and organs have this critical nutrient available in adequate quantities to bind to vitamin D receptors and promote calcium and phosphorus balance, bone mineralization, muscle strength, immune function, cardiometabolic health, and more."* 

This fat-soluble vitamin is that whole-body relevant and important on the daily.* The link between vitamin D and fertility is a growing one, but vitamin D is crucial for so many functions in the body—including, yes, your reproductive organs.* That said, a healthy vitamin D status can support key aspects of both female and male fertility, and we believe the most effective way to reach that goal is with a daily supplement.*