Vitamin D in Reproductive Health Disorders: A Narrative Review Focusing on Infertility, Endometriosis, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Ximena A. van Tienhoven, Jimena Ruiz de Chávez Gascón, Gabriela Cano-Herrera, José Antonio Sarkis Nehme, Ariela Aline Souroujon Torun, Maria Fernanda Bautista Gonzalez, Félipe Esparza Salazar, Ana Sierra Brozon, Eder Gabriel Rivera Rosas, Dante Carbajal Ocampo, Ramiro Cabrera
International journal of molecular sciences · 2025 · vol. 26(5) , pp. 2256 · doi:10.3390/ijms26052256 · PMID:40076878 · W4408108787
review OA: gold CC0
🔓 Open OA copy View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This review synthesizes evidence on vitamin D's molecular and endocrine mechanisms in infertility, endometriosis, and PCOS, highlighting its crucial role in ovarian function and the potential therapeutic benefits of adequate vitamin D levels.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Vitamin D (VD) is a fat-soluble steroid hormone with essential physiological functions beyond calcium and bone metabolism. In recent years, its role in women's reproductive health has gained attention, influencing ovarian function, follicular development, endometrial receptivity, and steroid hormone regulation. VD deficiency has been linked to reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and infertility. Studies indicate that up to 40-50% of healthy pregnant women have insufficient VD levels, which may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes and reduced fertility. With growing evidence connecting VD to reproductive health, this review examines its molecular and endocrine mechanisms in fertility, endometriosis, and PCOS. It explores VD's therapeutic potential and its implications for improving clinical approaches and future research in reproductive medicine. Maintaining adequate VD levels is crucial for ovarian function, immune modulation in reproductive tissues, and overall fertility. Its deficiency is associated with insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, and inflammatory processes, which contribute to reproductive pathophysiology. Establishing reference values for VD in reproductive medicine is essential for optimizing fertility treatments and improving clinical outcomes. This review synthesizes current research on VD's role in reproductive health and highlights the need for further investigation into its therapeutic applications.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Outcome instruments

VAS-pain Enzian

Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (100)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-06-04T01:30:01.192114+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-04T00:00:01.174412+00:00
pmc
last seen: 2026-05-13T20:22:03.195721+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-06-02T00:31:54.243347+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK