Unveiled connection: Vitamin D's role potentially influences birth control methods
Taking estrogen-based birth control pills could elevate your vitamin D levels:
Vitamin D is vital for maintaining proper calcium and phosphorous levels in your blood and helps your body absorb calcium, a key component of bones. Foods like fish and eggs are rich in vitamin D, but most of it is produced naturally in our skin through exposure to sunlight.
A study led by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences investigated the connection between vitamin D levels and oral contraceptives containing estrogen.
Contraception and Vitamin D
The researchers analyzed data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), a project examining reproductive health in African-American women aged 23-34 in Detroit, MI. The study looked at contraceptive use, outdoor time, and vitamin D supplements.
Blood samples were taken from 1,662 women to determine their levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common circulating form of vitamin D. The research found that women using contraceptives containing estrogen were likely to have 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D compared to other women.
"Our study found that women using contraception containing estrogen had higher vitamin D levels than other women," said Dr. Harmon. The effect remained significant even after accounting for confounding factors such as seasonal exposure to light and time spent outside.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Early Pregnancy
The study's findings suggest that as women plan to become pregnant, they may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Harmon advises women who stop using birth control to ensure they have adequate vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
While the study did not provide a definitive explanation, it is believed that estrogen-based contraception may affect vitamin D levels by influencing vitamin D-binding proteins, impacting vitamin D metabolism, and affecting the vitamin D receptor.
Calcium and vitamin D are crucial nutrients during pregnancy, as they are vital for fetal bone development. Pregnant women have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, making it essential to monitor vitamin D levels during this critical time.
Dr. Harmon emphasized the need for further research to confirm the relationship between contraception and vitamin D levels and the reasons behind this association. The current study only focused on African-American women, but Dr. Harmon is working on follow-up studies to investigate the relationship in other demographics and evaluate vitamin D variations throughout the menstrual cycle.
[1] Selhub, J. (2009). Can oral contraceptives boost vitamin D status?. Am J Clin Nutr, 89(3), 844-845.[2] Topogiannis, T. K., & Conti, L. (2016). Vitamin D receptors and hormonal contraception: underestimated interplay and clinical implications. Fertility and sterility, 106(4), 837-845.[3] Olsen, C., & Holick, M. F. (2011). Vitamin D: Important for maternal and fetal health. The Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 96(11), E2039-E2046.[4] Topogiannis, T. K., & Conti, L. (2016). Vitamin D receptors and hormonal contraception: underestimated interplay and clinical implications. Fertility and sterility, 106(4), 837-845.[5] Olsen, C., & Holick, M. F. (2011). Vitamin D: Important for maternal and fetal health. The Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 96(11), E2039-E2046.
- The study found that women using contraceptives containing estrogen had 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D compared to other women, suggesting a potential link between contraception and vitamin D levels.
- The relationship between contraception and vitamin D levels requires further investigation, especially in terms of the reasons behind this association.
- Pregnancy is a critical time for calcium and vitamin D, as they are vital for fetal bone development, making it essential to monitor vitamin D levels during this period.
- Dr. Harmon's study focused on African-American women, but follow-up research is being conducted to investigate the relationship in other demographics and evaluate vitamin D variations throughout the menstrual cycle.
- In addition to contraception, nutrition, particularly the intake of multivitamins and women's vitamins, plays a significant role in maintaining women's health and reducing the risk of vitamin deficiencies.
- Cultural practices and traditions may influence vitamin D levels in women, as outdoor time and exposure to sunlight can impact vitamin D production naturally in the skin. Science, health, health-and-wellness, and nutrition professionals need to consider these cultural factors when studying and addressing vitamin D deficiencies in women.
