Uncovered finds link between vitamin D and birth control.
Sunny Side of Pills: Research reveals an intriguing correlation between estrogen-based birth control and vitamin D levels in women. Women on estrogen-containing contraception often have higher vitamin D levels, while those who stop using such methods experience a significant drop.
Vitamin D's Star Role: This essential nutrient performs a crucial task—maintaining the perfect balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It also helps the body absorb calcium, an indispensable component of bones. Foods like fish and eggs are rich in vitamin D, but about 90% of it is produced naturally in the skin after sun exposure. Deficiency in the vitamin can lead to conditions like rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones).
The Sun Connection: During pregnancy, when the body needs more vitamin D to support the growth of the fetal skeleton, there's an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and related bone problems. Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, curiosity piqued, decided to investigate this connection.
Vitamin D and Contraception:
Dr. Harmon conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), a reproductive health investigation involving nearly 1,700 African-American women aged 23-34, residing in and around Detroit, MI. The study examined contraceptive use and factors like sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplement intake.
Using blood samples from 1,662 women, researchers determined levels of the most common form of circulating vitamin D, called 25-hydroxy vitamin D. The study found that women using estrogen-containing contraception had significantly higher vitamin D levels. Even after adjusting for confounding factors, the results remained substantial.
"Our study found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," Dr. Harmon explained.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy:
These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, highlight the need for women to ensure adequate vitamin D levels before attempting pregnancy. Dr. Harmon advised, "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."
While the exact mechanism behind this association isn't fully understood, recent studies suggest that estrogen might influence enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism, affecting its conversion into the active form. Changes in bone health and calcium metabolism induced by estrogen contraceptives could require or influence vitamin D status.
The current study focused solely on African-American women, leaving questions about race's potential role in this effect unanswered. Dr. Harmon intends to continue following this group of women and is also researching vitamin D variability across the menstrual cycle.
- The correlation between women's vitamin D levels and estrogen-based birth control has been the subject of research, revealing that women using such contraception often have higher vitamin D levels.
- Vitamin D, an essential nutrient that aids in maintaining calcium and phosphorus balance and bone growth, can also experience deficiencies when there's insufficient exposure to sunlight or vitamin D-rich foods like fish and eggs.
- In the study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), involving nearly 1,700 African-American women, researchers found that those using estrogen-containing contraception had significantly higher levels of vitamin D.
- The higher vitamin D levels among women using contraception containing estrogen persisted even after factors like sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplement intake were accounted for.
- To ensure proper vitamin D levels during conception and pregnancy, particularly for women planning to stop using birth control, it's important that they take steps to maintain an adequate supply of this vital nutrient.
- Future research on this subject should aim to understand the exact mechanism behind the association between estrogen and vitamin D metabolism and investigate possible racial differences in this effect, as the current study focused solely on African-American women.
