Exploring the surprising connection between vitamin D and contraception.
Study Reveals Connection Between Estrogen-Based Birth Control and Vitamin D Levels
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between estrogen-based contraceptives and higher levels of vitamin D in women. This study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, indicates that women taking such birth control pills have increased vitamin D levels, while those who stop using these contraceptives experience a significant drop in their vitamin D levels.
Vital for maintaining the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health. It also aids the body's absorption of calcium, an essential element for bone structure. Primary sources of vitamin D include foods such as fish and eggs, as well as its production through a chemical reaction triggered by sunlight exposure—accounting for around 90% of total vitamin D production.
Deficiency in vitamin D can lead to conditions like rickets and osteomalacia, characterized by softening of the bones, and it is especially vital during pregnancy due to its role in bone growth and development.
Led by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the research team conducted a cross-sectional analysis on data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), an investigation focusing on reproductive health. The study included almost 1,700 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI.
Questions regarding contraceptive use, sunlight exposure, and vitamin D supplementation were included in the study, and blood samples were taken from 1,662 participating women to determine their levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common circulating form of vitamin D.
According to Dr. Harmon, women using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women. These findings were significant even after controlling for confounding factors such as exposure to seasonal light.
The study revealed that the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Currently, users of birth control had higher vitamin D levels, while past users had average vitamin D levels.
In her interview with Medical News Today, Dr. Harmon commented on the potential reasons for the association: "Further research is needed to determine why vitamin D levels are higher when women use estrogen-containing contraception. However, 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."
This study has implications for women who are planning to become pregnant, as they run the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency after stopping birth control. Dr. Harmon advises taking steps to ensure adequate vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
Questioning the potential racial implications, Dr. Harmon noted that although the study primarily focused on African-American women, the observed association has also been found in other ethnic groups. With African-American women being more prone to vitamin D deficiency in the United States, even slight changes in vitamin D concentrations can have significant impact.
Dr. Harmon also shared her ongoing plans to investigate the relationship further, as well as her work on another group of participants to examine how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle. Further research will help clarify the complex relationship between estrogen-based contraceptives, vitamin D levels, and bone health.
- Vitamin D, crucial for bone health and absorption of calcium, has shown increased levels in women using estrogen-based contraceptives, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- The study, conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, found that women taking contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen had 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D compared to other women.
- This association was significant even after considering confounding factors like seasonal light exposure and vitamin D supplementation.
- The study's findings could have implications for women planning pregnancy, as sudden stoppage of estrogen-based birth control might lead to deficiencies in vitamin D, potentially impacting women's health and nutrition.
- The study's focus was primarily on African-American women, but its findings suggest that the association between estrogen-containing contraceptives and vitamin D levels could apply to other ethnic groups as well.
- To further investigate this relationship, Dr. Harmon plans to conduct more research on the impact of estrogen-based contraceptives on vitamin D levels and bone health across the menstrual cycle, and their potential racial implications in the context of health-and-wellness and women's health.
