Dear friends,
This week we decided to talk to you about vitamins, more specifically vitamin D. “Why is this vitamin important, how it affects your body and whether it can harm you” are some of the questions that we will focus on.
The most famous role of vitamin D is associated with absorption of calcium in the small intestine. But its benefits do not stop there. Deficiency of vitamin D plays an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases, cancer, and fertility problems.
The female reproductive system has vitamin D receptors. The active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) affects the genes involved in the production of estrogens. Calcitriol supports embryo implantation as well as immune cells in the uterine cavity that protect it from infections during pregnancy. Deficiency of vitamin D during pregnancy is associated with some complications such as high blood pressure.
Vitamin D is especially important for women who are about to undergo an IVF procedure. According to several studies, there is a correlation between the levels of vitamin D in the body and the success of the in vitro procedure.
Therefore, adequate levels of vitamin D in the body are a necessity. I stress the word “adequate” because vitamin D, as well as vitamins A, E and K, are fat-soluble and are stored in the liver. Excess of these vitamins cannot be excreted with the urine and they can be overdosed, which means that the prescribed dosage must be followed strictly.