Vitamin D's potential influence on birth control methods explored in new findings
A Fresh Take on Vitamin D and Birth Control
Here's an undeniable fact: Women taking estrogen-based contraceptive pills have a higher level of circulating vitamin D compared to those not on the pills. On the flip side, women who stop taking these pills may face a significant reduction in their vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D, often referred to as the 'sunshine vitamin,' plays a vital role in maintaining the right balance of calcium and phosphorous in the blood. It also aids in calcium absorption, a crucial component of bones. Interestingly, food sources such as fish, eggs, and some fortified products contain vitamin D, but approximately 90% of it is produced in the skin through a chemical reaction after exposure to sunlight.
A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to health issues like rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones), particularly during pregnancy, as it plays a crucial role in the formation of bones.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, took a keen interest in this phenomenon and decided to investigate any connections between vitamin D levels and oral contraceptives.
Vitamin D and Contraception: A Deep-Dive
Dr. Harmon and his team carried out a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), a project aimed at understanding reproductive health. The research involved almost 1,700 African-American women living in and around Detroit, MI, aged 23-34.
The study asked women about their contraceptive use and included questions about the amount of time they spent outside and any vitamin D supplements they took. In total, 1,662 women gave blood samples to ascertain levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, known as 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
The study found that women using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels compared to other women. Even after controlling for confounding factors, such as seasonal exposure to light, the effect remained significant.
"Our study found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," said Dr. Harmon. "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."
After making adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with up to 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users had average vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy
Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, these findings imply that as a woman starts trying to become pregnant, she may be at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D. Dr. Harmon advises:
"For women who are planning to stop using birth control, it is worth taking steps to ensure that vitamin D levels are adequate while trying to conceive and during pregnancy."
When questioned about the possible reasons for this association, Dr. Harmon said: "[We] do not know why vitamin D levels are higher. Other work suggests that the levels of other vitamin D metabolites are changed when women use estrogen-containing contraception. This suggests that there may be alterations in the metabolism of vitamin D. Further work is needed."
The current study focused solely on African-American women. When asked whether race might play a role in this effect, Dr. Harmon explained:
"The same association has been observed in young and older women who are not African-American, so we believe this association is not related to race. In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be vitamin D-deficient, so small increases or decreases in their vitamin D concentrations may be more important."
Dr. Harmon also plans to continue following this group of women to further investigate the relationship between vitamin D levels and contraceptive use. She is also working on another group of participants to investigate how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
Stay tuned for more insights on the fascinating world of vitamins and health!
- Women taking estrogen-based contraceptive pills have been found to have higher levels of vitamin D, compared to those not on the pills, suggesting that contraceptives containing estrogen may boost vitamin D levels.
- A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to health issues like rickets and osteomalacia, particularly during pregnancy, as it plays a crucial role in the formation of bones.
- Dr. Harmon's study, which involved 1,700 African-American women, found that current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users had average vitamin D levels, after considering confounding variables.
- After making adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with up to 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
- Women who are planning to stop using birth control may be at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D as they start trying to become pregnant, according to the study's findings.
- Further research is needed to understand why vitamin D levels are higher in women using estrogen-containing contraception, as it may indicate alterations in the metabolism of vitamin D.
