Vitamin D and The Pelvic Floor: What's The Connection?
In recent years, researchers and healthcare professionals have been investigating the influence of certain nutrients on pelvic floor health.
One study looked at the link between vitamin D levels and pelvic floor disorders. The results showed that 82% of women had vitamin D levels that were considered deficient, and that increased vitamin D levels were associated with a lower risk of pelvic floor disorders.
How Does Vitamin D Affect Your Pelvic Floor?
Vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining adequate calcium levels, which means it is essential for muscle growth and function. As such, insufficient vitamin D is associated with muscle weakness. Pelvic floor weakness, in particular, can contribute to pelvic floor disorders such as urinary and bowel incontinence.
The pelvic floor is also reliant on the delicate relationships between musculoskeletal connections to pelvic bones that support the abdominal cavity and pelvic viscera. The detrusor muscle, also detrusor urinae muscle, is a smooth muscle found in the wall of the bladder. The detrusor muscle remains relaxed to allow the bladder to store urine, and contracts during urination to release urine.
The Vitamin D receptor has also been identified in the detrusor wall, and it is thus thought that an insufficient level might impact bladder function.
Signs of a Vitamin D Deficiency
Low Vitamin D signs may include aching bones, brain fog, fatigue and tiredness, bone and muscle pains, depression and hair loss. However the only way to know for sure that you have low vitamin D is by having a blood test.
Remember that your body absorbs Vitamin D from the sun, so you can become deficient during the winter months.
Vitamin D insufficiency affects up to 80% of reproductive-age women.
How You Can Improve Your Vitamin D Intake & The Strength of Your Pelvic Floor
As well as increasing your intake through vitamin D rich foods, you can strengthen your pelvic floor with a pelvic floor toner. This helps you to tone and tighten your pelvic floor muscles to improve bladder control, enhance sexual sensation, and promote overall pelvic health.
Our Kegel Kit is simple and very effective. Just 15 minutes a day to strength your pelvic floor muscles. It is like a dumbbell for your pelvic floor. Every 2 weeks you change the weight combination so you are gradually and safely strengthening your pelvic floor.
Unsure where your pelvic floor muscles are? Our weights are designed to also teach you where your pelvic floor muscles so you can be confident that you are exercising the correct muscles.
