The Importance of Vitamin D for Menopause

Did you know that Vitamin D can play an essential role in supporting your physical and emotional needs as you go through menopause? Despite Vitamin D's many benefits, studies show between 50% and 80% of women in menopause struggle with a Vitamin D deficiency.¹ 

The good news is you don’t need to be one of them.

Understanding how this nutrient benefits your body and how you can maintain optimum Vitamin D levels during menopause can help you take proactive steps to manage your health and wellbeing during this transitional time.

Benefits of Vitamin D During Menopause

For women in menopause, and even perimenopause, Vitamin D can provide support across multiple internal functions, and may even help manage some of your more frustrating symptoms. Its many benefits can include the following:

Reducing Hot Flashes

Vitamin D may provide relief from some of the most common symptoms of menopause. Older studies have indicated a potential association between optimal levels of Vitamin D and fewer hot flashes in women who've already gone through menopause.² Vitamin D can also protect the body against losing serotonin, which plays a role in helping to regulate body temperature.³ The jury's still out on just how effective this nutrient is in helping to reduce these symptoms, however, as some researchers have said they've yet to find a significant correlation between menopause, hot flashes and night sweats and Vitamin D.

Improving Your Mood

Since Vitamin D can help to maintain adequate levels of serotonin in the body, it may also help you support your mood,⁴ during menopause and beyond. While most clinical studies don't examine the specific link between Vitamin D, menopause and mental health, there is growing evidence among the scientific community that people with optimum levels of Vitamin D are less likely to experience depressed moods.⁵ By stabilizing serotonin levels, Vitamin D may also help to even out your moods and make you less prone to mood swings.⁶

Helping You Sleep

Vitamin D also aids in the body's production of melatonin, an essential hormone for getting a good night's sleep.^7,8 According to the Sleep Health Foundation, menopausal women are two to three times more likely to experience insomnia than premenopausal women.⁹ If you're one of them, upping your Vitamin D levels could be helpful for improving the duration and quality of your sleep.¹⁰ More research, however, does need to be conducted in this area to provide more definitive recommendations and results.

Supporting Bone Health

Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium to build healthy bones.¹¹ This is crucial during menopause where women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass.¹² Research has indicated that one in 10 women over the age of 60 are impacted by osteoporosis, which increases the risk of bone breaks and fractures.  By supporting healthy bone development, Vitamin D can reduce the risk of fractures associated with this condition. This helpful nutrient can also potentially reduce your chance of other bone issues, such as bone pain and softening. ¹³

How Much Vitamin D Do You Really Need During Menopause?

Experts recommend that women between the ages of 19 and 50 get 15 micrograms (600 International Units) of Vitamin D, daily. After 50, experts recommend increasing intake to 20 micrograms (800 International Units) to maintain optimum Vitamin D levels. ¹⁴ If you’re considering incorporating a Vitamin D supplement into your daily routine, be sure to check with your healthcare provider first, just as a precaution and as they know your medical history best. They can likely offer a simple blood test that can help determine if/how much supplementation is recommended.

Ways To Boost Your Vitamin D Levels

You can get the Vitamin D you need for optimal health during menopause from the following sources:

• Sunlight: Your skin absorbs UVB radiation from the sun and converts it into Vitamin D in the body. Just five to 30 minutes of sun exposure a day can be beneficial, although wearing sunscreen, cloud cover, and other factors can impact the amount of Vitamin D that sunlight provides.¹⁵
• Diet: Fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks are all rich in Vitamin D,¹⁶ so you could consider incorporating these food sources into your dietary routine to meet your daily requirements.
• Supplements: Vitamin D dietary supplements are another option to consider to help ensure you meet your daily Vitamin D needs.

As you can see, Vitamin D offers many benefits for menopausal women, and avoiding a deficiency can be as simple as taking a look at your diet or making small lifestyle changes. Spending safe and adequate time in the sunshine, eating a diet featuring foods rich in this vitamin, or taking supplements to top up your levels can help make sure that you’re enjoying a myriad of health and well-being benefits as you transition through menopause and beyond.

Resources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10291614/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32658424/
3. https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/studies-published/menopause-symptoms-and-low-vitamin-d
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079220301222
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327938/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4764124/
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079220301222
8. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
9. https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/menopause-and-sleep
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8912284
11. https://www.verywellhealth.com/vitamin-d-your-prevention-ally-2322660
12. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/menopause-and-bone-loss
13. https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/vitamins-for-menopause
14. https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/vitamins-for-menopause
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8299926/
16. https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/vitamins-for-menopause