29 July 2013
Women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) may improve their chances of getting pregnant by increasing their vitamin D supply, suggests a new study from Canada.
The observational study assessed the blood vitamin D concentrations and pregnancy rate of 173 women (aged between 18 and 41 years) undergoing IVF treatment (1). The study results showed that 55% of the participants had sufficient vitamin D levels (above 30 ng/ml) while 45% had insufficient levels (below
30 ng/ml). Women with sufficient levels had a significantly higher pregnancy rate (53%) than women with insufficient levels (35%). Additionally, the rate of implantation (when the embryo attaches to the uterus wall) was higher in the group with sufficient vitamin D supply (35%) than in the insufficient group (26%), although this finding was not significant.
The researchers concluded that vitamin D supplementation may be a cost-effective way for improving fertility and examining vitamin D levels as part of routine fertility assessment may be beneficial. More research is needed, as the mechanism by which vitamin D affects fertility is still unclear.
12 July 2011
Higher dietary intake of vitamin B6 is associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk, particularly among premenopausal women and of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors, a new study among Taiwanese women suggests.
17 April 2013
A new review from Sweden suggests that increased dietary calcium intake may be associated with a reduced risk of developing stroke in populations with low to moderate calcium consumption.
26 October 2011
The average total vitamin D intake of Spanish women in menopause is only 39% of the recommended intake, says a new Spanish study.
