A new study found no link between vitamin D and menopause debunking previous theories that low levels of vitamin D cause menopause symptoms.
Many studies have linked low levels of vitamin D in the blood to menopause symptoms. To examine the authenticity of this association, researchers from the Women's Health Initiative conducted a new study on 530 women who participated in the calcium and vitamin D WHI trial.
Common menopause symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, concentration, and forgetfulness. It is believed that breast cancer patients with higher vitamin D levels have fewer hot flashes and other symptoms than women with lower levels. Another association previously made between vitamin D and menopause symptoms is that consuming Vitamin D supplements can improve moods during this transition period. Researchers also looked into the link which suggested the vitamin protects against depletion of serotonin, which plays a role in regulating body heat.
After analyzing all these associations, researchers found that the number of symptoms and vitamin D levels had a borderline significant relationship at first, but after adjusting multiple comparisons, the association disappeared. Researchers also noted that no individual menopause symptoms were significantly associated with vitamin D.
"With so many women taking vitamin D supplements these days, it is good to know what it can and cannot do. We need to be realistic in our expectations," says NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass in a press statement.
Gass clarified that this study did not confirm that there was absolutely no link between menopause symptoms and low levels of vitamin D because the study sample was relatively small. Moreover, the women participating in the study were an average age of 66 years, almost 16 years after menopause. Researchers also noted that only 27 percent of the women in this group had hot flashes or night sweats.
Gass recommends looking into the vitamin D levels of women going through the menopause transition period to get a better insight into this subject.
Heavy bleeding and drastic period changes also take place during menopause. A recent study found that this is a common occurrence and is nothing to get worried about.
The new study was published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.
