Unveiled connection: Vitamin D potential impact on birth control methods
Vitamin D and Birth Control
Here's an interesting find: Women on estrogen-based contraceptives often have higher levels of vitamin D. Conversely, halting these pills can lead to a significant drop in the vitamin D levels.
Known as the 'sunshine vitamin', vitamin D is a crucial player in maintaining the correct balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It aids in the body's absorption of calcium, an essential ingredient of bones. Interestingly, foods like fish and eggs are just some of the high-vitamin D sources, but did you know that around 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight?
A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to issues like rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones). Given the importance of vitamin D in bone formation, it's particularly important during pregnancy.
Curious to learn more about the connection between vitamin D and birth control, Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, initiated a study.
Vitamin D and Contraception
The study, conducted on nearly 1700 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI, looked at contraceptive use, time spent outdoors, and vitamin D supplements. Of these women, 1662 provided blood samples to measure their levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common form of vitamin D in circulation.
While pregnant women produce increased amounts of the active form of vitamin D to support fetal skeleton growth, they face a heightened risk of vitamin D deficiency and related bone problems.
So, what did the study discover? Dr. Harmon shared that women on estrogen-based contraception had higher vitamin D levels compared to others in the study. Even after accounting for factors like seasonal light exposure, this 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.
After adjusting for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20% increase in 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. Current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users had average levels.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicates that, as women prepare to conceive or become pregnant, vitamin D deficiency becomes a potential risk. Dr. Harmon advises that women intending to stop using birth control should ensure their vitamin D levels are adequate during this time and pregnancy.
But why does estrogen-based contraception affect vitamin D levels? Dr. Harmon hinted at the possibility of alterations in vitamin D metabolism or receptor sensitivity due to raised estrogen levels. She also mentioned the impact on enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism, like cytochrome P450 enzymes.
The current research focused exclusively on African-American women, and Dr. Harmon mentioned that further research is necessary to gauge the impact of race. She also shared that she is continuing to study this group of women to explore the relationship further and is working on another group to investigate vitamin D variations across the menstrual cycle.
Want to know more about how higher vitamin D levels could lower cancer risk? Check out our related articles!
- Women on estrogen-based contraceptives often have elevated levels of vitamin D, according to Dr. Quaker E. Harmon's study.
- During pregnancy, women face a heightened risk of vitamin D deficiency due to increased demands for the nutrient in supporting fetal skeleton growth.
- The National Institutes of Health study discovered that the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20% increase in 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels.
- In regard to women planning to conceive or become pregnant, vitamin D deficiency could be a potential risk, as suggested by research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- The study led by Dr. Harmon also proposes that estrogen-based contraception may affect vitamin D levels by altering vitamin D metabolism or receptor sensitivity.
- Future research will focus on assessing the impact of race in vitamin D metabolism and variations across the menstrual cycle as part of Dr. Harmon's ongoing studies.
