PSA: Women Are 11% More Likely To Be Vitamin D Deficient Than Men

Many factors influence vitamin D status—including biological sex: According to a 2018 study from the British Journal of Nutrition, while ratios of healthy and insufficient vitamin D levels were relatively similar between females and males, women are 11% more likely1 to be deficient in vitamin D. 

Why is this? Unfortunately, the answer isn't crystal clear. You see, the factors that determine a person's vitamin D status aren't so cut and dried. Vitamin D levels are affected by a multitude of variables in addition to sex—including age, adiposity, skin tone, and genetics, not to mention the many aspects that affect sun exposure, like season, latitude, and time spent outdoors with skin exposed.

While this is important for both sexes throughout life, women who are pregnant or postmenopausal are especially prone to fluctuating calcium levels (due to fetal demands and hormonal changes, respectively), which can lead to suboptimal bone metabolism3 and muscle mass. That's why sustaining vitamin D sufficiency is critical for women to maintain optimal muscle and bone health—at all ages but especially during their reproductive and postmenopausal years.

Speaking of hormones, vitamin D has a massive influence on the endocrine system—in a good way! While hormones are by no means a female-specific area of health, women are no strangers to fluctuations that affect their menstrual cycles, sex lives, and mental well-being.

So, you've established that you want to support your bone health, muscle strength, sex life, and more by achieving vitamin D sufficiency. What's the next step?

First, consider testing your vitamin D levels using a serum total 25(OH)D test. You can talk to your health care provider about ordering a lab test or test your levels yourself (well, collect the sample at home and ship it off for testing) with one of these at-home vitamin D tests.

Here are the facts: According to the British Journal of Nutrition study quoted above, 29% of U.S. adults are clinically deficient in vitamin D, and another 41% are clinically insufficient. What's more, diet and sunlight are rarely enough to help you achieve and sustain vitamin D sufficiency.

With this in mind, most Americans would be wise to utilize vitamin D supplementation to help optimize their D status (especially women!). A quality vitamin D supplement with an efficacious dosage (i.e., 5,000 IU) of vitamin D3 can help you reach levels above 50 ng/ml, so your endocrine, musculoskeletal, and whole-body health can thrive.*

Women are 11% more likely to have vitamin D levels in the deficient range. Suboptimal D status can lead to implications for musculoskeletal and endocrine health (to mention a few), but taking a high-quality daily vitamin D supplement can help women achieve vitamin D sufficiency and optimize their well-being.*