Vitamin D and Irregular Periods

Have you ever sought help for your irregular cycle only to feel dismissed? Irregular periods don't always get the attention they deserve. Women often are told that their test results are normal or that the irregularities are caused by stress. A birth control prescription to regulate the cycle usually follows, which often feels like a band-aid solution. Although stress is one cause of irregular cycles, there are many other possible causes that are worth exploring.

When my patients tell me that their test results are normal, the first thing that I ask for is a copy of the results so I can see what was actually tested. I do this because sometimes important clues are missing from the test results - vitamin D levels being one of them. 

Vitamin D And Your Cycle 

It’s amazing to see how often vitamin D levels are not tested when a woman complains of an irregular cycle. It’s especially surprising given the growing amount of evidence that vitamin D plays a role in reproductive health. 

Low vitamin D levels have been associated with irregular cycles. There is also research that vitamin D deficiency is linked to longer gaps between periods and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). 

For the longest time, research has focused on the role that vitamin D plays in bone health but now more studies are showing us that we need vitamin D for hormone health, mental health, immune system health and more. 

How Vitamin D Helps

There are receptors for vitamin D on the ovaries and uterus. That means that these tissues are likely sensitive to vitamin D levels. According to researchers, vitamin D may promote healthy progesterone and estrogen levels by influencing the ovaries as well as hormones produced by the brain. Vitamin D may help lower insulin resistance. Regulating these various hormones helps to promote regular ovulation which is important for maintaining a regular cycle. There are likely many other ways that vitamin D influences our cycles but researchers are still trying to determine the exact mechanisms behind this. 

Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency 

Signs and symptoms are not always a reliable way to find out if you're deficient in vitamin D because they can be so vague and easy to dismiss. Testing is the most reliable way to truly determine if you are deficient or not. Some common symptoms include:

• Fatigue

• Low mood

• Anxiety 

• Hair loss

• Muscle and bone pain

Regulating Your Period

Sometimes it takes real detective work to figure out why your periods are irregular and how to get it back on track. Vitamin D may be one piece of the puzzle but there are many more pieces to consider. If you’re ready to dig deep and figure out the root causes for your irregular periods, book a free 15 minute phone consultation to learn more about how a naturopathic doctor can help. 

Testing For Anxiety - is it Necessary?

Anxiety can involve a whole bunch of confusing and overwhelming symptoms. For some people, all of the symptoms are thought based - overthinking, catastrophizing, constant worrying etc. For others, physical symptoms are associated with the anxiety like heart palpitations, diarrhea, irregular periods, sweating, nausea and so on.

Whether or not you need testing depends on your signs and symptoms. The type of testing you need will be completely individualized to you. Testing can help us figure out potential root causes that could be contributing to your anxiety.

Here are some tests that can be run for certain cases of anxiety:

Thyroid testing - this is sometimes tested when heart palpitations, jitters, constipation or diarrhea, cold or hot flashes, irregular periods, hair issues or skin changes occur.

Iron deficiency testing - this can be considered when symptoms like weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and heart palpitations are present.

Blood sugar testing - this is sometimes done when symptoms like lightheadedness, weakness and shaking are present.

Other tests like liver testing, triglycerides, reproductive hormones, vitamin d, B12 and many more may also be considered on a case by case basis.

I often get asked if I offer testing as a naturopathic doctor. I have access to many common tests and I often run tests for my anxiety patients when we feel it’s necessary. If you want to talk more about how I can help you with testing, please book a free 15 minute consultation.

When Do I Start Taking Vitamin D?

This is a common question that I’ve been getting lately especially with fall getting closer.

As you may know, we get a good chunk of vitamin d from sun exposure. The Canadian guidelines state that 600 IU of vitamin d is needed daily to keep bones healthy. These guidelines take sun out of the equation. In other words, if you spent minimal time in the sun, your bones would still be fine with 600 IU of vitamin d/day according to these guidelines. One reason why sun exposure was not considered when making these guidelines was because it’s not clear how much things like smog, cloud coverage, skin colour, sunscreen use, time of day and even season affects our ability to get vitamin d from the sun. So “they” decided to play it safe and assume everyone was getting minimal sun.

The guidelines also do not take into consideration how much vitamin d is needed for other health outcomes besides bone health. The research behind how vitamin d affects health beyond the bones is promising, but it was not strong enough to make it into the guidelines. That being said, vitamin d has been shown in studies to play a role in fertility, thyroid health, mood, immunity and other conditions.

Many health care providers (including myself) find that vitamin d levels drop in the winter compared to the summer. Having your vitamin d levels tested is not always necessary but in some cases it’s worthwhile to get your levels tested by your naturopathic or medical doctor to determine if you are deficient in vitamin d – especially in winter.

So here’s my answer to the question of “when do I start taking vitamin d”: You need vitamin d year-round. You get it from egg yolks, fatty fish, supplements, fortified foods and sunshine. The Canadian guidelines recommend 600 IU/day year-round to protect your bones. Many health care providers will recommend more. The amount you need and whether you need more during certain times of the year depends on your health history and your vitamin d level.

Vitamin d is an important nutrient. Do not hesitate to ask about whether it’s worth supplementing and/or getting your levels tested.