Discovered connection between vitamin D and contraceptive methods revealed
Blockbuster Findings: Estrogen Birth Control and Your Vitamin D Levels
Got a hankering for some sun rays, fish, or eggs? That's because Vitamin D is crucial for keeping your calcium and phosphorus levels in check, helping your body absorb calcium, a vital component for building bones. Guess what? Around 90% of your Vitamin D is produced through a chemical reaction after exposure to sunlight - and that's where the sunshine starts to fade for some ladies.
A groundbreaking study shows that women taking estrogen-based birth control pills have higher levels of Vitamin D, while those who stop taking these contraceptives experiences a notable drop in Vitamin D levels.
But why does this happen? Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC, decided to dig deep into the relationship between Vitamin D and contraception.
The Surprising Link: Vitamin D and Contraception
With over 1,600 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI, Dr. Harmon and her team conducted a cross-sectional analysis, asking women about their contraceptive usage, including time spent outside and any Vitamin D supplements taken. Comparing blood samples taken to determine levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the common circulating form of Vitamin D, the researchers found that women using contraception containing estrogen had significantly higher Vitamin D levels than other participants.
Even after taking into account factors like seasonal light exposure, this association remained significant. Dr. Harmon stated that they could not find any behavioral differences that could explain the increase, suggesting that estrogen in contraceptives may boost Vitamin D levels, which subsequently decrease when women stop using these birth control methods.
The researchers discovered that current users of birth control had higher levels of Vitamin D, and past users had average Vitamin D levels. After adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy
These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, hint that women planning to become pregnant may be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency as they stop using birth control. Dr. Harmon advises that women who are stopping their contraception should consider taking steps to ensure adequate Vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy to avoid potential bone problems.
The team is still following these women to further investigate the relationship and plans to study another group of participants to investigate how Vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
While the current study focused on African-American women, Dr. Harmon explained that similar associations have been observed in women of different races, suggesting that this effect might not be tied to race. In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be Vitamin D-deficient, so small increases or decreases in Vitamin D concentrations may be more significant.
Intrigued? Learn about research showing that higher Vitamin D levels could lower cancer risk.
- Women taking estrogen-based birth control pills may have higher levels of Vitamin D compared to those who do not, according to a recent study.
- The National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences conducted a cross-sectional analysis involving over 1,600 African-American women to investigate this association.
- The researchers found that current users of contraception containing estrogen had significantly higher Vitamin D levels than other participants.
- After accounting for factors like seasonal light exposure, the association remained significant, suggesting that estrogen in contraceptives may boost Vitamin D levels.
- Women planning to become pregnant may be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency as they stop using birth control, as indicated by the study's findings.
- The study's authors advise women who are stopping their contraception to consider taking steps to ensure adequate Vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy to avoid potential bone problems.
