Vitamin D has a biologically plausible role in female reproduction. In human ovarian tissue, 1,25(OH)2D3 stimulated progesterone production by 13%, estradiol production by 9%, and estrone production by 21% (20).
In its active form, vitamin D increases progesterone and estrogen levels, maintains a healthy uterine lining, and reduces the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis. In men, vitamin D plays a role in the healthy development of sperm and maintenance of semen quality.
Recently, we discovered that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is induced in T cells by progesterone. This finding connects the function of progesterone to that of vit. D and suggests that the two steroid hormones cooperate with each other for sequential and effective regulation of the immune system.
Vitamin B6 Foods
One research study showed that increasing the amount of B6 vitamins taken each day to around 200-800 mg per day can raise progesterone levels and reduce estrogen enough to improve symptoms of PMS.
The liver and kidneys convert vitamin D (produced in the skin and taken up in the diet), into the active hormone, which is called calcitriol(1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D).
Estrogen imbalance: Vitamin D deficiency may lead to lowered estrogen levels, which can cause depression, hot flashes, mood swings and more. Impaired immune system: Vitamin D deficiency may lead to an impaired immune system, putting women at an increased risk of infection and illness.
The team found a “positive correlation” between vitamin D and estradiol. In other words, women with lower levels of vitamin D tended also to have lower levels of estradiol, and women with higher levels of vitamin D tended also to have higher levels of estradiol.
Vitamin B6 has been shown to help improve progesterone levels and is, therefore, one of the vitamins which women who are trying to conceive often take. Research has shown that women who have higher levels of vitamin B6 in their blood have reduced miscarriage rates by 50%.
Although the corpus luteum in the ovaries is the major site of progesterone production in humans, progesterone is also produced in smaller quantities by the ovaries themselves, the adrenal glands and, during pregnancy, the placenta.
In response to this release of GnRH, the anterior pituitary will release FSH and LH, which will subsequently act on the gonads. In the female ovary, this release of FSH and LH on the gonads causes the release of progesterone.
Vitamin D is actually a hormone that communicates with your other hormones, making it especially essential to help balance hormones. So, ensure you're getting enough vitamin D2 and D3 to ease and prevent hormonal fluctuations.
Vitamin D is best known as a nutrient; however, what most people don't know is that vitamin D is also considered to be a pro-hormone which means that your body can convert it into a hormone.
Without it, you can experience hormonal imbalances such as: Estrogen imbalance. A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to lower estrogen levels, which can cause depression, hot flashes, mood swings, and much more.
Vitamin B6 is absolutely essential for the development of the corpus luteum – this gland is produced in the ovary after the egg has been released and it is what makes the hormone progesterone. Therefore B6 is necessary for balanced hormones and preventing progesterone deficiency.
The most noticeable manifestation of low progesterone levels is irregular periods and short cycles, but sometimes symptoms like premenstrual spotting may appear. Other symptoms may include mood changes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression.
Firstly, omega-3 fatty acids may improve ovulation. Consumption of DHA has been shown to increase progesterone, a hormone that regulates the condition of the lining of the uterus that is essential for pregnancy.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce estrogen levels by 18.9% and progesterone levels by 23.7%. These decreases are found to be most pronounced during the luteal phase of a cycle. Of note, progesterone is more sensitive to body stress than estrogen.
Ovulation inducing medication such as Clomid and Femara are usually the first medications doctors try if they suspect you have an ovulatory disorder. These medications help you to ovulate if you are not ovulating and/or produce “stronger” ovulation if you are ovulating, by acting to increase your progesterone levels.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Vitamin D is important for everyone, but women over 40 should be especially sure they're getting enough. Critically, for women in midlife, vitamin D may also play a role in moderating several perimenopause and menopause symptoms and concerns. Menopause and vitamins often go hand in hand, and vitamin D is no exception.