VITAMIN D INSULIN RESISTANCE ANDROGEN LEVELS in PCOS
 

The EFFECT of VITAMIN D REPLACEMENT THERAPY on INSULIN RESISTANCE and ANDROGEN LEVELS in WOMEN with POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME

Hadi Selimoglu1, Cevdet Duran2, Sinem Kiyici3, Canan Ersoy3, Metin Guclu3, Guven Ozkaya4, Ercan Tuncel3, Erdinc Erturk3, Sazi Imamoglu3
1Malatya State Hospital, Division of Endocrinology 2Konya Education and Research Hospital, Division of Endocrinology 3Uludag University, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology 4Uludag University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistic

Insulin resistance (IR) is one of the common features of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and recent studies indicate the possible role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of IR and glucose metabolism.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of vitamin D replacement therapy on glucose metabolism, insulin and androgen levels in obese, insulin resistant women with PCOS.

Eleven women with PCOS were included into the study. The mean age of the patients were 23.6±5.7 years, body mass index 33.9±5.1 kg/m2. Six of the patients (54.5%) had acantosis nigricans and ten (90.9%) oligoamenorrhea.

The mean Ferriman Gallwey score was 14.1±4.6. Only two women were within the normal limits of vitamin D levels as >20 ng/ml.

Three weeks after the administration of the single dose of 300000 units of vitamin D3 orally, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 significantly increased from 16.9±16 ng/ml to 37.1±14.6 ng/ml (p:0.027) and only two women were detected to have vitamin D3 levels <20 ng/ml.

Although glucose and insulin levels were decreased nonsignificanltly, hemostasis model assesment-IR significantly decreased from 4.41±1.38 to 3.67±1.48 (p: 0.043).

No significant alterations were witnessed at the levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, total and free testosteron, androstenedion.

No correlation was found between vitamin D with HOMA and other hormonal parameters.

In conclusion, women with PCOS have mostly insufficient vitamin D levels, and vitamin D replacement therapy may have a benefical effect on IR in obese women with PCOS.


Ideally to improve insulin resistance levels should have been raised above 120nmol/l about 48ng/ml so I would predict that raising status higher for longer would have had a more beneficial impact.

Large single doses of Vitamin D3 are not a particularly natural way of raising status. 10.000iu/daily D3 for 30days would be better. Perhaps cheaper would be 50,000iu once every 5days for 30 days with 50,000iu every week thereafter.

Although effects on Insulin resistance probably meet a threshold around 120nmol/l or 48ng/ml there is still good reason for everyone (PARTICULARLY PCOS) to raise status to 55ng/ml maybe even to 60~70ng/ml.

Interesting thought but with a sample size of only 11 woman, I am not entirely convinced.

I was just reporting today's new research paper.
It has to be read in conjunction with other recent work on the same topic.

As there is ample evidence that obese people always have low 25(OH)D Vitamin D status will inevitably need correcting anyway.

It's not as if there is any risk involved or any significant cost.

You can soon prove I'm wrong and show you are not below 55ng/ml. but I'll bet you are a lot nearer 20ng/ml = 50nmol/l than 60ng/ml.= 150nmol/l

May also help improving fish oil intake. 2g daily should help appetite suppression and also reduces insulin resistance.

I have a question. Does it have to be in liquid form? What I have right now are the Vitamin D pills at 1000 IU per pill. So, I would have to take 10 pills per day for a month to get my Vitamin D levels up high enough? That seems like a lot. Can you take too much Vitamin D and if so what does it do to your body?

2 of these daily would be a lot easier (MCT OIL)

or one of these (olive oil)

I prefer the MCT oil for various reasons but the olive oil is fine.
This graph shows that mostly it takes around 5000~6000iu/daily to reach 60ng/ml


However generally people with PCOS have more of a problem with inflammation and require more Vitamin D daily to achieve the same effect. Same happens with people with diabetes, and Celiac disease. If you have an underlying inflammatory condition you need more vitamin D as you use it up quicker.

Sure you can take too much but it takes something above 40,000iu/daily for many many months before adverse events occur.
The Risk of Additional Vitamin D this paper explains the safety of vitamin D. Up to 10,000iu/daily is absolutely safe even if you also get plenty of sunshine.
Getting a 25(OH)D test after 3 months will show you are getting on and if it's time to reduce your daily intake to 1000iu for each 25lbs you weigh.

EVERY single cell in your body uses vitamin D. So if you don't get sufficient there are endless possibilities of different conditions that occur.
Perhaps if you started by watching the videos on this website it would start you off in the right direction.
However you have to understand much of what we now know about vitamin D has been discovered in the last few years. Much of the information on the internet is out of date and could be misleading.
When I started learning about D3 it was mainly thought to be concerned with Maintaining skeletal health That is bone strength.
but we now know it's important for rgulation of hormone secretion for both men and women.

It also controls Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
and affects Insulin Fibroblast growth factor 23 and Renin
Recently a lot of work has been done showing how vitamin D is responsible for Regulation of immune function it's sorts out our Adaptive immunity and our Innate immunity.

As far as cancer is concerned it's important to keep levels high and stable to ensure it's able to perform it's role in regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. I've been taking the pills I currently have, just to use them up and I will look for another formulation with a higher dose when these are done. I'm taking 12,000 IUs per day right now, and will start taking 14,000 soon - to match my body weight. I find if I take the whole dose at once I get slightly sick to my stomach, so I take it in two doses.

Thanks again for the help and input!
Stacy