Discovery of potential link between vitamin D levels and birth control methods revealed
Vitamin D and Hormonal Contraception: An Unexpected Connection
It turns out that women taking estrogen-based birth control pills may have higher levels of circulating vitamin D, while those who stop using these contraceptives may experience a significant drop in vitamin D levels. This intriguing discovery, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, sheds light on the complex interplay between hormones and vital nutrients.
The Sunshine Vitamin: Vitamin D 101
Primarily responsible for maintaining the right calcium and phosphorous levels in the blood, vitamin D aids in the body's absorption of calcium, an essential component of bones. Foods like fish and eggs are plentiful in vitamin D, but approximately 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight-induced chemical reactions in our skin.
The Risks of Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones). Given its crucial role in bone formation, it is especially vital during pregnancy.
Investigating the Connection
To delve deeper into this intriguing link, Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), an investigation of reproductive health. The study surveyed almost 1,700 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI about their contraceptive use, time spent outside, and any vitamin D supplements they took. In total, 1,662 women provided blood samples to measure levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
The Findings
The study found that women using contraception containing estrogen had higher vitamin D levels. After adjusting for factors such as seasonal light exposure, the effect remained significant. Current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users had average levels.
After adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20% higher level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Implications
As women begin trying to conceive, they run the risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D. Dr. Harmon advises that it is worth ensuring adequate vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy for women planning to stop using birth control.
While the reasons for this connection are still unclear, further research will help unravel the mystery of how estrogen-based contraceptives might affect vitamin D levels. Dr. Harmon is investigating this relation further and also probing how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
While a direct, widely accepted link between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels is yet to be established, the findings underscore the importance of maintaining adequate vitamin D levels, particularly for pregnant women.
Remember, as Always, Knowledge is Power. Empower Yourself by Empowering Your Knowledge of Your Body.
- Women on estrogen-based contraceptive pills may have higher levels of circulating vitamin D, while those who stop using them may experience a significant drop.
- The complex interplay between hormones and vital nutrients, such as vitamin D, is the focus of ongoing scientific research.
- In the health-and-wellness sphere, the impact of multi-vitamins on women's health, especially vitamin D, is increasingly being recognized.
- Adequate levels of vitamin D are critical during pregnancy to prevent bone diseases like rickets and osteomalacia.
- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is investigating the unexpected connection between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels.
- Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is especially important for women planning to conceive and during pregnancy, as they may come to face deficiencies when stopping birth control use.
