Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin essential for life, is mainly synthesized in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight, hence its nickname "sunshine vitamin." Its most prominent function is regulating calcium and phosphorus balance and maintaining bone health.
As the son of the sun god, vitamin D has always been a focus of attention, and many studies have found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with many chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and malignant tumors.
However, a different voice has recently emerged in JAMA magazine.
Is Vitamin D losing its luster?
This is an article about randomized controlled trials on the association between vitamin D and different diseases. The article mentions that many trials have failed to demonstrate the significant benefits of vitamin D supplementation (the trials mainly included cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease)[1].
Whether these disappointing results will cause vitamin D to lose its luster remains to be seen and requires further research.
However, the importance of vitamin D for women is undeniable. Today, we will mainly talk about the use of vitamin D in women.
A woman's life has two key moments.
Vitamin D supplementation is needed
As the saying goes, "Women are meant to be cherished," and that's no exaggeration.
After all, when Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon a woman, it will first make her suffer from menstrual cramps, then the pain of childbirth, and she will be more prone to vitamin D deficiency.
Generally, if there is no illness, there is no need to deliberately supplement with vitamin D.
So which women need to pay special attention? The answer is: pregnant women and women in the perimenopausal period.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a special stage in a woman's life, with changes in hormone levels and metabolism, and it is also a high-risk period for vitamin D deficiency.
To meet the needs of fetal bone growth and extra calcium, the requirement for vitamin D during pregnancy will increase by 4-5 times [2].
In addition, reduced outdoor activities and insufficient sunlight exposure during pregnancy lead to a decrease in vitamin D intake through sunlight, making vitamin D deficiency more likely.
perimenopause
As the saying goes, "The most fleeting things in life are youth and beauty; rosy cheeks fade from the mirror, and flowers fall from the trees."
After women enter perimenopause, as the ovaries decline and estrogen secretion decreases, in addition to symptoms such as aging, menstrual changes, and atrophy of the reproductive tract, osteoporosis may also occur.
A survey report from seven provinces showed that 61.0% of postmenopausal women were vitamin D deficient[4].
So, what are the consequences of vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency can have serious consequences.
Pregnancy
In addition to causing complications in pregnant women such as gestational hypertension, diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, and subclinical hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency can also directly affect the vitamin D levels in the fetus, increasing the incidence of congenital rickets, oral diseases, asthma, or allergic rhinitis in newborns.
perimenopause
Due to a decrease in vitamin D and calcium loss, osteoporosis can occur, which can cause mild symptoms such as lower back pain, unsteady gait, spinal atrophy, and decreased height, or even fractures in severe cases.
Correlation analysis showed that the occurrence of perimenopausal osteoporosis is closely related to vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to decreased bone density and thus increase the risk of osteoporosis [3].
The study also found that the lifetime risk of fractures in women (40%) is higher than the combined risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, and is one of the main causes of disability and death in elderly patients [4].
Therefore, it is very important to supplement vitamin D. So, how should we supplement it? And how much should we supplement?
Come and learn the D-supplementation method!
Vitamin D can be obtained through three pathways: skin synthesis from sunlight exposure, food, and supplementation.
Vitamin D2 or D3?
For pregnant and perimenopausal women, a combination of three methods is often required. In addition to paying attention to daily diet and sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation is also necessary.
Currently, the main types of vitamins used in clinical practice are regular vitamin D2 and D3.
Safety of Vitamin D
The risk of hypercalcemia from supplementing with normal doses of vitamin D is very small, and routine testing of blood or urine calcium is not necessary.
However, it should be noted that improper high-dose treatment or accidental overdose can lead to vitamin D poisoning.
Therefore, it should be used strictly in accordance with the guidelines and the doctor's advice.
As mentioned at the beginning, ordinary women do not need to supplement vitamin D unless there is a special need, but women who are pregnant or perimenopausal need to pay attention.
During these two important periods, you can prevent the disease by getting adequate sunlight, eating more foods rich in vitamin D, and supplementing with the recommended dose of vitamin D supplements.
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