Exploring the link between vitamin D and contraception discovered
Levels of Vitamin D Impacted by Estrogen-Based Contraceptives
New research indicates that women on estrogen-based birth control pills possess higher quantities of circulating vitamin D, while those who stop using these contraceptives experience a significant drop in vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal levels of calcium and phosphorous in the blood, and it assists the body in absorbing calcium, an essential component of bones. Foods high in vitamin D include fish and eggs, while around 90 percent of the vitamin is produced in the skin through a chemical reaction triggered by sunlight exposure.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to health issues such as rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones). Given vitamin D's significance in bone formation, it is particularly crucial during pregnancy.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC, probed the relationship between vitamin D levels and oral contraceptives. In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), they examined 1,662 African-American women living in and around Detroit, MI, aged 23-34.
The study questioned women about their contraceptive use, including details about their time spent outside and any vitamin D supplements they took. Blood samples collected from the participants revealed levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, the researcher responsible for the study, noted that women using contraception containing estrogen had higher vitamin D levels compared to other women. After controlling for confounding factors, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Women who were currently taking estrogen-based contraceptives had higher vitamin D levels, while past users had average vitamin D levels. These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, signify that women planning to stop using birth control should take measures to ensure adequate vitamin D levels when trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
The researchers could not find any behavioral differences to explain the increase in vitamin D levels, suggesting that contraceptives containing estrogen tend to boost vitamin D levels, and these levels decrease when women cease using contraception.
It is still unclear why estrogen-based contraception might affect vitamin D levels. Further research is necessary to understand the exact mechanisms and potential variations across racial groups.
Research shows that higher vitamin D levels lower cancer risk. Dr. Harmon is continuing to follow the study's participants to further investigate the relationship between estrogen-based contraception and vitamin D levels and is working on another group of participants to examine how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
- Estrogen-based contraceptives have been shown to impact levels of Vitamin D in women, with users having higher quantities compared to non-users.
- The significance of Vitamin D in maintaining bone health is particularly crucial for women, especially during pregnancy, as deficiencies can lead to health issues such as rickets and osteomalacia.
- New research from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences suggests that contraceptives containing estrogen could boost Vitamin D levels, and these levels decrease when women cease using contraception.
- Given the potential relationship between Vitamin D levels and cancer risk, further research is necessary to understand the exact mechanisms and potential variations across racial groups.
- Women planning to stop using birth control should take measures to ensure adequate Vitamin D levels when trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
- Adequate Vitamin D levels, which can be obtained from foods such as fish and eggs, or through sunlight exposure, are essential for maintaining overall health and wellness, as well as women's health and nutrition.
