Exploration reveals potential association between vitamin D and contraceptive methods
Sunshine Hormones and Birth Control: A new study reveals a connection between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, plays a crucial role in maintaining the correct levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It also aids the body in absorbing calcium, an essential building block for bones. While foods like fish and eggs are rich in vitamin D, approximately 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunshine, through a chemical reaction on our skin.
A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to serious health issues such as rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones). Given its importance in bone formation, vitamin D is especially vital during pregnancy.
Intrigued by this, Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, decided to delve into any changes in vitamin D levels associated with the use of oral contraceptives.
The Link Between Vitamin D and Contraception
To test her theory, Dr. Harmon and her team conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), a project focusing on reproductive health. The study involved almost 1,700 African-American women aged 23-34, living in and around Detroit, MI. The study questioned women about their contraceptive use and their sun exposure habits.
The researchers discovered that women taking estrogen-based contraceptives had significantly higher vitamin D levels than other women. Even after controlling for confounding factors like seasonal light exposure, the effect remained significant. The team could not find any behavioral differences, such as increased sunlight exposure, to explain the higher vitamin D levels.
"Our findings suggest that contraceptives containing estrogen tend to boost vitamin D levels, and those levels are likely to fall when women cease using contraception."
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon
After adjusting for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20% increase in:
- 25-hydroxy vitamin D - the most common circulating form of vitamin D.
Current users of birth control had higher vitamin D levels, while past users had average levels.
This study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, raises concerns about the risk of vitamin D deficiency for women trying to conceive or in early pregnancy. Dr. Harmon advises that women planning to stop using birth control should take steps to maintain adequate vitamin D levels during their attempts to conceive and throughout their pregnancy.
Medical News Today asked Dr. Harmon about the possible reasons behind estrogen-based contraception's impact on vitamin D levels. She mentioned potential alterations in vitamin D metabolism:
"We do not know why vitamin D levels are higher. Further work is needed to understand these changes."
Although this study focused on African-American women, Dr. Harmon believes the association between contraceptives and vitamin D levels is not race-specific:
"Our findings suggest that this association is not related to race. In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be vitamin D-deficient, so even small increases or decreases in their vitamin D concentrations may be significant."
Dr. Harmon and her team are continuing to follow this group of women, aiming to gather further insights into the relationship. Additionally, they are investigating vitamin D levels across the menstrual cycle in another group of participants.
While the relationship between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D is just beginning to be understood, this research offers a promising avenue for future investigations into the role of hormonal contraception on nutrient levels.
- This new study reveals a connection between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels, a crucial nutrient that aids in bone formation.
- The research, involving over 1,700 African-American women, found that women taking estrogen-based contraceptives had significantly higher vitamin D levels.
- Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, who led the study, suggests that contraceptives containing estrogen might boost vitamin D levels.
- The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism raises concerns about the risk of vitamin D deficiency for women trying to conceive or in early pregnancy.
- Dr. Harmon advises women planning to stop using birth control to maintain adequate vitamin D levels during their attempts to conceive and throughout their pregnancy.
- Dr. Harmon believes the association between contraceptives and vitamin D levels is not race-specific, as African-American women are more likely to be vitamin D-deficient.
