Investigation reveals potential connection between vitamin D and contraception methods
Gettin' That Vitamin D Boost with Hormonal Contraceptives?
Got your eyes on that hormonal birth control? You might wanna check your vitamin D levels too! A new study finds that women using estrogen-based contraceptives have higher quantities of this vital nutrient in their bloodstream.
drop a bone on it!
Vitamin D is the rockstar of bone health, maintaining the perfect balance of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. It's also got the superpower to help your body absorb calcium - crucial for building and maintaining strong bones. Don't believe it? Take a gander at fish, eggs, and lightly toasted sunshine (maybe not literally).
Guess who's responsible for 90% of your daily dose of vitamin D? Well, you are - thanks to sunlight exposure! But what if you're using those hormonal contraceptives? Are you still absorbing enough D? Let's dive in.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, partnered up with researchers to investigate the connection between vitamin D levels and hormonal contraceptives.
Vitamin D and Hormonal Birth Control: The Scoop
They analyzed data from a study called the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), which focuses on reproductive health. Over 1,600 African-American women from Detroit, Michigan, aged 23 to 34, were part of the project. The study asked questions about contraceptive use, time spent outside, and vitamin D supplements.
Turns out, women using contraceptives with estrogen had higher vitamin D levels than the rest. Even after controlling for factors like sunlight exposure and time outside, the association remained significant.
"Our study found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," shared Dr. Harmon, adding, "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 analyzing the data, it was found that the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20% higher levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
current users of hormonal contraceptives had higher vitamin D levels, while past users had average levels.
Vitamin D Deficiency during Early Pregnancy
The study's findings could influence women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant. Gaining adequate vitamin D during early pregnancy is crucial for both maternal and fetal health, but levels tend to drop as they stop using hormonal contraceptives.
Dr. Harmon suggests, "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."
Curious about the connection between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D? Dr. Harmon explains, "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 research is needed."
In case you're wondering, Dr. Harmon observed equally significant associations in non-African-American women and believes the relationship is not related to race.
The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, sheds light on the possible impact of hormonal contraceptives on vitamin D levels. So ladies, it's time to keep an eye on that vitamin D level while you're keeping the baby train on pause!
- Women using estrogen-based contraceptives have higher quantities of vitamin D in their bloodstream, as revealed in a recent study focusing on reproductive health.
- Vitamin D plays a vital role in bone health, helping maintain a balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood and aiding in calcium absorption.
- Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health, has conducted a study investigating the connection between vitamin D levels and hormonal contraceptives.
- In the study, current users of hormonal contraceptives had higher vitamin D levels, while past users had average levels.
- The study's findings could influence women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant, as gaining adequate vitamin D during early pregnancy is crucial for both maternal and fetal health.
- Further research is needed to understand the exact mechanism behind the increased vitamin D levels in women using estrogen-based contraceptives, but the relationship may be linked to alterations in the metabolism of vitamin D.
