The hidden link between vitamin D and contraception recently revealed
Shedding Light on Vitamin D and Birth Control
Your female hormone balance may be affecting more than just your menstrual cycle - it might also impact your vitamin D levels!
Research has found that ladies on estrogen-based birth control pills are sporting higher vitamin D quantities. Conversely, women who steer clear of these contraceptives may experience a significant drop in D levels.
So, what exactly does Vitamin D do? Essentially, it keeps the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. It also aids the body in absorbing calcium, a key component of your bones. While a variety of foods like fish and eggs contain hefty doses of vitamin D, about 90 percent of your vitamin D is produced in your skin after exposure to sunlight.
A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone problems like rickets and osteomalacia (soft bones). Since vitamin D plays an important role in bone development, it's crucial during pregnancy.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, thought it'd be interesting to check if there were any changes in vitamin D levels related to oral contraceptives.
A Link Between Vitamin D and Contraception
Our investigators dug into data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), a study examining reproductive health. They analyzed information from around 1,700 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI.
The study questioned ladies about their contraceptive use and factored in time spent outdoors and any vitamin D supplements consumed. In total, 1,662 women provided blood samples to measure the most common circulating form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
"Our study found that women who used contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," shared Dr. Harmon. Even after accounting for factors such as seasonal light exposure, the connection held strong.
"We couldn't find any explanatory behavioral differences, such as increased outdoor time, to justify the surge," Dr. Harmon added. "Our evidence suggests that contraceptives containing estrogen may boost vitamin D levels, which are likely to drop when women stop using them."
After adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen corresponded to 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Furthermore, current users of birth control showed higher levels of vitamin D, while past users reported average levels.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy
These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, indicate that as a woman starts trying to become pregnant, she could find herself deficient in vitamin D. Dr. Harmon offers some pointers:
"For women aiming to stop using birth control, it's worth taking steps to ensure that vitamin D levels are sufficient during the endeavour to conceive and throughout pregnancy."
When we asked Dr. Harmon why estrogen-based contraception could impact vitamin D levels, she explained:
"We're not entirely sure why vitamin D levels rise. Other work suggests that levels of other vitamin D metabolites may change when women use estrogen-containing contraception, signaling possible alterations in the metabolism of vitamin D. Further investigation is needed."
The current study concentrated solely on African-American women; we asked Dr. Harmon if race might contribute to this effect. She responded:
"We believe this association isn't race-related, as it has been observed in women of various backgrounds. In the United States, African-American women are more prone to vitamin D deficiency, so even small increases or decreases in vitamin D concentrations may be more substantial."
Dr. Harmon also informed us that she's following these women to further explore this link while also working on another group to investigate vitamin D variations across the menstrual cycle.
Remember that higher vitamin D levels may be related to a reduced risk of cancer.
Fun Fact: Estrogen-based contraception might impact vitamin D levels indirectly by influencing bone metabolism and calcium absorption, which are related to vitamin D activity. However, hormonal birth control may also cause nutrient depletion, including vitamin D, due to increased metabolic demand and potential effects on absorption or utilization. The association between contraceptive use and vitamin D levels may vary across different racial groups, primarily due to factors such as skin pigmentation, sun exposure, and dietary habits. Further research is needed to establish these relationships thoroughly.
- The relationship between vitamin D and hormone balance is important to understand, as ladies on estrogen-based birth control pills may have higher vitamin D levels, while those avoiding such contraceptives might experience a significant drop.
- Vitamin D is essential for maintaining the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood and aids the body in absorbing calcium, which is a key component of bones.
- A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone problems like rickets and osteomalacia, and since vitamin D plays an important role in bone development, it's crucial during pregnancy.
- A study conducted by investigators observed that women who used contraception containing estrogen had higher vitamin D levels than others, even after accounting for factors like seasonal light exposure and vitamin D supplements.
- After adjusting for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen corresponded to 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
- As a woman starts trying to become pregnant, she could find herself deficient in vitamin D, so it's worth taking steps to ensure that vitamin D levels are sufficient during the endeavor to conceive and throughout pregnancy.
- The current study concentrated solely on African-American women, but Dr. Harmon believes this association isn't race-related, as it has been observed in women of various backgrounds.
- Further research is needed to establish the relationships between contraceptive use, vitamin D levels, and their variations across different racial groups, as hormonal birth control may also cause nutrient depletion, including vitamin D, due to increased metabolic demand and potential effects on absorption or utilization.
