Surprising discovery of a potential link between vitamin D and birth control revealed
Revised Article:
Hey there! Let's dive into an interesting study that sheds light on the relationship between estrogen-based birth control and vitamin D levels in women.
Vitamin D, a crucial nutrient, plays a significant role in maintaining the right balance of calcium and phosphorus in our bodies. It also aids in the absorption of calcium, an essential building block for bones. Interestingly, our bodies can produce around 90% of vitamin D naturally through a chemical reaction on our skin after exposure to sunlight. Foods like fish and eggs are also rich in this vital nutrient.
A recent study, led by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, decided to investigate if there were any changes in vitamin D levels associated with taking oral contraceptives.
The Link Between Vitamin D and Contraception
To delve deeper, the researchers carried out an analysis on data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), an investigation into reproductive health. The study involved almost 1,700 African-American women living in and around Detroit, MI, aged 23-34.
The study questioned women about their contraceptive use and included questions about the amount of time they spent outside and any vitamin D supplements they took. In total, 1,662 women provided blood samples to determine levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Dr. Harmon's team found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women. Even after accounting for confounding factors such as seasonal exposure to light, the effect remained significant.
"Our study found that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women," Dr. Harmon shared. "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 making adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Moreover, current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users had 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 may be at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D. Dr. Harmon offers some advice: "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."
When asked why estrogen-based contraception might affect vitamin D levels, Dr. Harmon explained, "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 work is needed."
The current study focused solely on African-American women; however, Dr. Harmon clarified that race may not play a role in this effect. "The same association has been observed in young and older women who are not African-American, so we believe this association is not related to race. In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be vitamin D-deficient, so small increases or decreases in their vitamin D concentrations may be more important," she said.
Dr. Harmon is continuing to follow this group of women to further investigate the relationship. Additionally, she is working on another group of participants to investigate how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
If you're curious about the mechanisms behind this association, studies suggest that estrogen upregulates the liver's production of vitamin D binding protein, which in turn raises circulating vitamin D levels, leading to higher measured vitamin D levels in blood tests. However, it does not directly increase the active form of vitamin D or its biological activity at the cellular level.
Ensuring adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy is crucial, as it's vital for calcium homeostasis, bone health, immune function, and fetal development. Deficiency in pregnancy is associated with risks such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, and impaired fetal skeletal development. To mitigate these risks linked to deficiency and support healthy pregnancy outcomes, it's essential to maintain adequate vitamin D levels through supplementation or diet during pregnancy.
- The study revealed that women taking contraception containing estrogen often had higher levels of vitamin D than other women, indicating that estrogen-based contraception may boost vitamin D levels.
- The difference in vitamin D levels remained significant even after accounting for factors like seasonal light exposure and vitamin D supplements.
- The use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20% increase in 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels.
- As women cease using contraception, they may be at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D, especially when trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
- In regards to the link between race and vitamin D levels, Dr. Harmon suggested the effect may not be related to race as the association has been observed in young and older women, regardless of race.
- Adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy are essential for fetal development, immune function, and bone health. Deficiency during pregnancy can lead to risks such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, and impaired fetal skeletal development.
