Women who reported spending more than one hour outside per day had an estimated 40 percent reduced risk of uterine fibroids, a recent National Institutes of Health study found.

Fibroids are noncancerous tumors of the uterus that often cause pain and bleeding in premenopausal women. They are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States.

“It would be wonderful if something as simple and inexpensive as getting some natural sunshine on their skin each day could help women reduce their chance of getting fibroids,” Donna Baird, Ph.D., who led the study, said in a press release.

More than 1000 women ages 35-49 participated in the study, conducted by the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences, which is part of the NIH. Participants who said they spend more than one hour outside per day had a 40 percent decreased risk of fibroids. Vitamin D blood levels were also measured, and those with levels of at least 20 ng/ml showed a 32 percent reduced risk of fibroids.

“This study adds to a growing body of literature showing the benefits of vitamin D,” Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program, said in the press release.

Click here to read the press release from the NIH.

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