The Link Between Fibroids, Vitamin D, and Black Women

Research suggests Black women are two to three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women. Scary thought, right? Well get this – not only are Black women more likely to develop fibroids at a younger age, but they will also need more aggressive and invasive treatment for fibroids than their white counterparts. Why? Situational, environmental, and nutritional deficiencies in the Black community are behind it – more specifically, vitamin D deficiency. Lack of vitamin D in Black women is thought to be linked to fibroid growth. How can we increase our vitamin D intake and reduce this shocking statistic? First, let’s figure out the reasoning behind the data. Situational Many Black people are among the poor and uninsured in the United States. Compare that to our white counterparts who not only have more monetarily, but also have adequate health insurance they can readily afford. Many Black people are trapped in precarious living situations, which leads to living with a higher baseline of stress than most Americans. Add that to being a woman, whom we know usually makes substantially less money than men, and you’ve got a Black woman in a situation where they and their family are just...