A new study just came out in the Archives of Internal Medicine using vitamin D to treat painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea.) What is really interesting about the study is that instead of giving women daily vitamin D, the researchers instead gave a single large dose—300,000 IU!—and found it worked remarkably well to control cramps.
300,000 IU of vitamin D is a very large dose, one you could only get from a doctor. But vitamin D turns out to be a whole lot less toxic than doctors had always supposed, so that taking a substantial daily dose—as high as 2000 IU per day—is unlikely to have any dangers or side effects; it could help cure menstrual cramps; and, according to the latest research, would probably reduce your risk of cancer and chronic pain, and would also help improve your immune system.
Vitamin D has many effects in the body. It is actually more like a hormone than a vitamin, and so it is not surprising how many different body systems, and symptoms, it helps and affects.
One of the important functions of vitamin D has to calcium metabolism, which is why it is sometimes thought of as “the bone vitamin.” Because calcium and magnesium work together to control muscle contractions in the body, we recommend a combination of vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium, taken consistently to control cramps. We have other suggestions too. While this massive dose of vitamin D for menstrual cramps may work, we think a balanced daily approach is best.
