Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Dr Grant Fourie.

Did you know that in northern countries, which have dark, cold winters, couples are less likely to conceive during the winter, whereas conception rates peak in the summer?

 
THERE ARE A NUMBER of reasons why this association exists, but new research highlights vitamin D as one of the most important variables. Vitamin D, a steroid hormone that influences virtually every cell in your body and has been positively linked to health conditions ranging from cancer to heart disease, may significantly boost fertility in both men and women.

If you're struggling with fertility, get your vitamin D levels checked

Vitamin D is so crucial to health, that I urge everyone to make sure their levels are optimised. But if you’ve been dealing with infertility, this is especially important. A new report has shown that exposure to sunlight boosts fertility in both men and women by increasing their levels of vitamin D, a benefit that appears to work on multiple levels.

As the researchers reported in the European Journal of Endocrinology:

Among women, vitamin D appears to impact in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common female endocrine disorder, as well as boost levels of progesterone and oestrogen, which regulate menstrual cycles and improve the likelihood of successful conception. In men, vitamin D is essential for the healthy development of the nucleus of the sperm cell and helps maintain semen quality and sperm count. Vitamin D also increases levels of testosterone, which may boost libido.

The researchers state:

"Given the high prevalence of infertility as well as vitamin D insufficiency in otherwise healthy young women and men, and the possible role of vitamin D in human reproduction, research might lead to new therapeutic approaches such as vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of female and male reproductive disorders."

Low vitamin D levels previously linked to infertility

This is not the first time the “sunshine vitamin” has been linked to infertility. In 2008, Australian fertility specialist Dr Anne Clark found almost one-third of the 800 infertile men included in her study had lower than normal levels of vitamin D, (bear in mind that “normal” does not equal “optimal”, so by optimal standards, the rate of vitamin D deficiency was likely far higher than one-third) stating that:

"Vitamin D and folate deficiency are know to be associated with infertility in women, but the outcomes of the screening among men in our study group came as a complete surprise. Men in the study group who agreed to make lifestyle changes and take dietary supplements, had surprisingly good fertility outcomes."

 
In fact, of the 100 men who agreed to make and maintain certain lifestyle changes (quitting smoking, minimising intake of caffeine and alcohol, weight reduction, along with a course of vitamins and antioxidants) for three months prior to fertility treatment, 11 of them went on to achieve pregnancy naturally, without IVF treatment.

Previous studies, such as one published in The Journal of Nutrition, also found that although vitamin D deficient female rats were capable of reproduction, it reduced fertility by an astounding 75 percent, diminished litter sizes by 30 percent, and impaired neonatal growth.

Interestingly, another study published in November 2009 confirmed that human sperm does in fact have a vitamin D receptor. Analysis indicated that vitamin D is produced locally in the sperm, which suggests that vitamin D may be involved in the signalling between cells in the reproductive system. According to the authors, the study revealed “an unexpected significance of this hormone [vitamin D] in the acquisition of fertilising ability,” and the results imply that vitamin D is involved in a variety of sperm signalling pathways.

What else might be impacting your fertility?

An estimated 1 in 6 American couples struggle with getting pregnant each year and there’s compelling evidence that lifestyle, diet and environmental exposures are largely to blame. Not only are you exposed to hundreds (if not thousands) of toxins each day, but some of the most commonly prescribed drugs, poor diet and common vitamin deficiencies have also been linked to reduced fertility, just to name a few.

As Iva Keene, author of the Natural Fertility Prescription, stated:

“Conventional IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments don’t address root causes of infertility. These root causes include: nutritional deficiencies, toxin exposure, stress, food intolerances, allergies and immune deficiencies. These subtle but critical factors interact synergistically to impact the quality of your eggs and sperm, affecting your ability to conceive and the health of your embryo. ...during the generation and maturation of gamete cells - sperm and ovum - that form an embryo (a period of 120 days), everything that you and your partner ingest, inhale or are exposed to, will influence the health of your eggs and sperm for better or worse, and the ultimate quality of the genetic building blocks you pass onto your child. This is why it’s crucial to follow a good preconception plan for a minimum of 4 months before conception."

"A baby is a 50-50 product of his or her parents - therefore optimising the quality of eggs and sperm is of paramount importance."

 
Here are a few initial strategies that may help resolve infertility naturally:

Avoid genetically modified food (GM)
Especially corn and soy, as they contain significant concentrations of the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup), which has been linked to infertility in a number of studies.

Avoid chemicals as much as possible
Bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, fluoride (in drinking water), MSG and many, many others have shown negative impacts on your reproductive health.

Consume a healthy diet
Eat a diet that is rich in healthy fats and antioxidants and low in sugar and grains. Insulin resistance is an underlying factor responsible for most chronic disease and it should come as no surprise that it plays a role in fertility as well. The treatment strategy is to reduce or eliminate grains along with sugars, especially fructose.

Identify potential gluten intolerance
Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) has been linked to fertility problems in both sexes. In men, it's associated with abnormal sperm, such as lower sperm numbers, altered shape and reduced function. Men with untreated celiac disease may also have lower testosterone levels.

Be aware of electromagnetic fields
Research suggests that cell phones may impact sperm quality as well. One study found men who talked on a cell phone for more than four hours a day, had the lowest average sperm counts (50 million per millilitre) and the least healthy sperm.

Are you ready to optimise your vitamin D levels?

To get your levels into the healthy range, sun exposure is the best way to optimise your vitamin D levels; exposing a large amount of your skin until it turns the lightest shade of pink, as near to solar noon as possible, is typically necessary to achieve adequate vitamin D production. If sun exposure is not an option, a safe tanning bed (with electronic ballasts rather than magnetic ballasts, to avoid unnecessary exposure to EMF fields), can be used.

As a last resort, a vitamin D3 supplement can be taken orally, but research suggests the average adult needs to take 8,000 IU's of vitamin D per day to elevate their levels above 40ng/ml, which is the absolute minimum for disease prevention.

Infertility can be a challenging condition with multiple contributing factors, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by optimising your vitamin D levels. It is free if you do it via sun exposure and inexpensive if you use a safe tanning bed or vitamin D3 supplement. It’s a simple step that can have a profound impact on your health, even if trying to conceive naturally is not your primary goal.

Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/16/the-vitamin-that-has-been-shown-to-dramatically-improve-infertility.aspx

 
Dr Joseph Mercola | Osteopathic physician
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Mercola is an osteopathic physician, also known as a DO. Osteopathic physicians practice a "whole person" approach, treating the entire person rather than just symptoms. Focusing on preventive health care, DO’s help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don't just fight illness, but help prevent it, too.

Dr Mercola is board-certified in family medicine and served as the chairman of the family medicine department at St. Alexius Medical Centre for five years. He is trained in both traditional and natural medicine.

In addition, he was granted fellowship status by the American College of Nutrition (ACN) in October 2012. He has been interviewed several times on national and local news, and has authored three New York Times Bestsellers. In 2009, he was named the top Ultimate Wellness Game Changer by the Huffington Post.