Right now, that darling seems to be vitamin D.
It's not that I don't trust the power of vitamins, and it's not that I don't believe in a good reminder to tend to what we're putting (or not putting) in our bodies. It's just that I sometimes wonder what is new or more fully understood information and what is all a bunch of health hype.
That said, when I saw yet another article about the benefits of vitamin D in the New York Times, I wasn't skeptical. In fact, I was compelled. Maybe that's because this piece was about how vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the most common kind of vaginal infection women get.
If you've ever had a vaginal infection -- in this case, bacterial vaginosis -- I imagine you will do just about anything to not get one again. It's uncomfortable, irritating, and even painful, not to mention a cause of premature birth and increased infant mortality for pregnant women. It is treatable with antibiotics. But if it could possibly be avoided simply by amping up the vitamin D, I think we need to take the vitamin D hype seriously.
It is not known (or claimed) that vitamin D is the magic pill that will end vaginal infections in women. However, the Times did report that a study published in this month's The Journal of Nutrition found that pregnant women with lower levels of the vitamin in their system had a much higher chance of also having bacterial vaginosis.
The study measured the amount of vitamin D -- with an "adequate" amount being 80 nanomoles per liter -- and found that more than half of the 500 participants had a reading of only 37. It was determined by the research that, if a pregnant woman has a reading of 50 or below, she has a 26% higher chance of having bacterial vaginosis. If her reading is under 20, she has a startling 65% increased likelihood of having the infection.
According to this research, this is a particular concern for women of color. Twice as many black women had bacterial vaginosis as white partipants, and the study showed black women are three times more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency. Researchers say the reason for this is probably because darker skin makes it harder for the body to process vitamin D.
I am hoping to hear more about this, not just because women might have more information about avoiding the awfulness of vaginal infections, but so we can hopefully prevent unnecessary preemie births and infant deaths.
While we're on the subject of darling D, I admit that I also loved Real Simple's recent take on whether or not it is a medical miracle in a gooey little capsule. They checked in with a dermatologist about how women can get the D we need and still protect ourselves with sunscreen.
Since vitamin D is naturally produced when we are exposed to sunlight, we can become deficient simply by slathering on skin-caring sunscreen that filters out the UVB rays. Their expert said that sunscreen does let in enough UVB rays for the body to produce vitamin D, but that we still need to get more from our diet and supplements.
Their suggestion? Take a multivitamin plus 1,000 I.U. of vitamin D every day, and eat fish, eggs, and milk fortified with vitamin D.
Of course, as always, it is critical that you consult your doctor about what vitamins you need for your body, lifestyle, and health concerns. Take that even more seriously if you are a woman who is pregnant or wants to be, so you can get personalized medical advice on avoiding bacterial vaginosis and keeping yourself and your unborn child healthy.
Do you take vitamin D? Has it helped you address any health concerns?
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[photo credit: Getty Images]