Vitamin D is effective to relieve endometriosis-related symptoms

Vitamin D is known for its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its role in hormonal regulation which is considered pivotal in managing various aspects of endometriosis. Hence, researchers performed a study to examine the effects of vitamin D on conception rates and clinical signs in females suffering from endometriosis.

A thorough search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, and CINAHL was conducted up to July 20, 2023. ReVMan software was used in the meta-analysis to compute the mean differences, or pooled effect estimates, for continuous data and the associated 95% confidence intervals (CI). Overall, three randomized controlled trials with 167 participants were included.

As found, vitamin D supplementation effectively alleviated dysmenorrhea associated with endometriosis, (mean difference −1.41, 95% CI −2.61 to −0.22, P = 0.02). But, the effect on dyspareunia was ambiguous, with an insignificant mean difference of −0.2 (95% CI −1.62 to 1.22, P = 0.78). Conversely, vitamin D use was linked with a substantial decrease in dyschezia (mean difference −1.10, 95% CI −2.22 to 0.02, P = 0.05).

No significant impact of vitamin D was observed on endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain. While the antioxidant vitamin D helps relieve endometriosis symptoms, its direct impact on pregnancy rates remains unexplored. Vitamin D therapy can be a viable option for tackling endometriosis symptoms, either alone or with other treatments. The improvement in symptoms may indirectly boost fertility and pregnancy outcomes.