Vital connection between vitamin D and contraception methods revealed
A new research study has found a correlation between estrogen-based birth control methods and the circulating levels of vitamin D in women. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences discovered that women who use estrogen-based contraception have higher levels of vitamin D compared to those who do not, and stopping the contraceptives results in a significant drop in vitamin D levels.
Primarily, vitamin D plays a critical role in maintaining healthy levels of calcium and phosphorous in the blood, facilitating the absorption of calcium which is vital for bone health. Although vitamin D can be obtained through foods like fish and eggs, approximately 90% of the essential nutrient is produced naturally through sunlight exposure. A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia, which involves softening of bones. During pregnancy, vitamin D is crucial due to its part in the formation of a healthy fetal skeleton.
Investigating this association between oral contraceptives and vitamin D, lead researcher Dr. Quaker E. Harmon and her team conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF). The project involved almost 1,700 African-American women aged between 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI. The study inquired about their contraceptive use, and participants answered questions regarding how much time they spent outdoors and if they took any vitamin D supplements. Overall, 1,662 women provided blood samples for analysis of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common form of circulating vitamin D.
According to Dr. Harmon, users of estrogen-based contraceptive pills, patches, or rings showed 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D compared to the women who did not use such contraception. Even after adjusting for confounding factors like seasonal exposure to light, the effect remained significant. Notably, Dr. Harmon and her team could not find any behavioral differences to explain the increased vitamin D levels among users of estrogen-based contraception.
"Our study found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," commented Dr. Harmon. She added that these findings suggest that estrogen-based contraceptives may boost vitamin D levels, and those levels may decline when women stop using the contraception.
During pregnancy, women produce increased levels of the active form of vitamin D to support the growth of the fetal skeleton. This heightens the risk of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women. Given the vital role of vitamin D in bone health, Dr. Harmon advises that women who plan to stop using birth control take steps to ensure their vitamin D levels are sufficient while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
While this study focused solely on African-American women, Dr. Harmon believes the association is likely not related to race. In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be vitamin D-deficient, making small increases or decreases in their vitamin D levels more significant.
The current study is part of an ongoing effort to further investigate the relationship between hormonal contraception and vitamin D, as well as looking into how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle. Future research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that connect estrogen-based contraception with vitamin D levels.
In summary, estrogen-based oral contraceptives have been found to increase the levels of vitamin D in women, and the higher levels may decline when women stop using the contraception. These findings suggest that women planning pregnancy should be mindful of their vitamin D intake to maintain appropriate levels during pregnancy.
- Interestingly, the study conducted by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon and her team found a connection between estrogen-based contraception and vitamin D levels in women.
- The study, primarily focusing on African-American women, revealed a 20% higher level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in women using contraception containing estrogen.
- Noteworthy, this correlation remained significant even after adjusting for confounding factors like seasonal exposure to light.
- As vitamin D plays a critical role in bone health, particularly during pregnancy in the formation of a healthy fetal skeleton, women planning pregnancy should be aware of their vitamin D intake when stopping contraception.
- Research into the relationship between hormonal contraception and vitamin D, including fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and the potential underlying mechanisms, remains ongoing.
- Given the higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among African-American women in the United States, the association between estrogen-based contraception and vitamin D may be broader than initially investigated, warranting further study.
