Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 lowers prostaglandins, the chemical messengers that are responsible for painful cramps. It also helps to reduce  inflammatory cytokines. Its superior bioavailability compared to D2 ensures efficient absorption and enhanced effectiveness for overall well-being.

Benefits

Painful cramps
Overall PMS

It’s very hard to get enough vitamin D from sunlight, especially in the UK, which is why supplementation is important.

References

Chen YC, Chiang YF, Lin YJ, et al. Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Nutrients. 2023;15(13):2830 Meta-analysis (8 studies)
Lin KC, Huang KJ, Lin MN, Wang CY, Tsai TY. Vitamin D Supplementation for Patients with Dysmenorrhoea: A Meta-Analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1089 Meta-analysis (11 studies)
Moini A, Ebrahimi T, Shirzad N, et al. The effect of vitamin D on primary dysmenorrhea with vitamin D deficiency: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2016;32(6):502-505 RCT (placebo)
Rahnemaei FA, Gholamrezaei A, Afrakhteh M, et al. Vitamin D supplementation for primary dysmenorrhea: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2021;64(4):353-363 RCT (placebo)
Heidari H, Amani R, Feizi A, Askari G, Kohan S, Tavasoli P. Vitamin D Supplementation for Premenstrual Syndrome-Related inflammation and antioxidant markers in students with vitamin D deficient: a randomized clinical trial. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):14939 RCT (placebo)
Amzajerdi A, Keshavarz M, Ghorbali E, Pezaro S, Sarvi F. The effect of vitamin D on the severity of dysmenorrhea and menstrual blood loss: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Womens Health. 2023;23(1):138 RCT (placebo)
Lasco A, Catalano A, Benvenga S. Improvement of primary dysmenorrhea caused by a single oral dose of vitamin D: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(4):366-367 RCT (placebo)
Ataee M, Zangeneh M, Mahboubi M. Cholecalciferol for primary dysmenorrhea in a college aged population—A clinical trial. J. Biol. Todays World. 2015;4:54–57 RCT (placebo)
Behum. Coimbatore Medical College; Coimbatore, India: 2017. Study of Prevalence of Vitamin d Deficiency in Primary Dysmenorrhea and Administration of a Single Oral Dose of Vitamin D to Improve Primary Dysmenorrhea. Master’s Thesis. 2017 RCT (placebo)
Pakniat H, Chegini V, Ranjkesh F, Hosseini MA. Comparison of the effect of vitamin E, vitamin D and ginger on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea: a single-blind clinical trial. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2019;62(6):462-468 RCT (placebo)
Tartagni M, Cicinelli MV, Tartagni MV, et al. Vitamin D Supplementation for Premenstrual Syndrome-Related Mood Disorders in Adolescents with Severe Hypovitaminosis D. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2016;29(4):357-361 RCT (placebo)
Bertone-Johnson ER, Hankinson SE, Bendich A, Johnson SR, Willett WC, Manson JE. Calcium and vitamin D intake and risk of incident premenstrual syndrome. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(11):1246-1252 Case-control
Jarosz AC, El-Sohemy A. Association between Vitamin D Status and Premenstrual Symptoms. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2019;119(1):115-123 Cross-sectional
Zeynali M, Haghighian HK. Is there a relationship between serum vitamin D with dysmenorrhea pain in young women?. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2019;48(9):711-714 Descriptive-analytic