Effects of vitamin D supplementation in endometriosis: a systematic review

Study answer

What this study found

Vitamin D supplementation did not show a clear clinical benefit for endometriosis-related pain or IVF outcomes in human randomized trials. For dysmenorrhea, the pooled evidence from 2 studies (44 vitamin D vs 44 placebo) showed no significant effect; for non-cyclic pelvic pain, 2 studies (42 vitamin D vs 38 placebo) also showed no significant effect. Individual trial findings were mixed: one study found no significant improvement in dysmenorrhea (p = 0.45) or pelvic pain (p = 0.24), another reported pain reduction that was not significantly different from placebo (p = 0.97), and the IVF…

Study & population

Systematic review and meta-analysis of human clinical trials plus preclinical studies in endometriosis.

Intervention

Vitamin D was evaluated as oral supplementation across randomized human endometriosis trials, using regimens that included 50,000 IU weekly for 12 weeks, 2,000 IU daily for 24 weeks, 50,000 IU every 2 weeks for 12 weeks, and a single 600,000 IU oral dose before IVF.

Key limitation

The evidence base was small and heterogeneous, with differing vitamin D doses, durations, diagnostic methods, and outcomes across studies.

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Original abstract