Vitamin D's potential connection to birth control methods discovered
Estrogen-based birth control and vitamin D levels
Here's the scoop on how your birth control pill might be impacting your vitamin D levels!
Research conducted by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institutes of Health, found that women using estrogen-based contraceptives tend to have higher concentrations of vitamin D than those not using these hormonal methods. This is particularly interesting since vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining the correct calcium and phosphorous levels in the blood.
Vitamin D is also essential for helping the body absorb calcium, a vital component of bones. Interestingly, around 90% of vitamin D is produced in the skin through a chemical reaction after exposure to sunlight. Foods like fish and eggs are high in vitamin D, but you can also top up your levels naturally with some suntime!
However, a drop in vitamin D levels can lead to problems like rickets and osteomalacia, which cause bones to soften. Given that vitamin D is vital for bone formation, this is especially important during pregnancy.
In the study, Dr. Harmon and her team looked at data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), which involved over 1,600 African-American women aged 23-34 living in and around Detroit, MI. The research assessed the women's contraceptive use, time spent outside, and vitamin D supplements, as well as taking blood samples to determine levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common circulating form of vitamin D.
Post-analysis, current users of estrogen-based contraception were found to have 20% higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, whereas past users showed average levels. Dr. Harmon advises women stopping their contraception to ensure they maintain adequate vitamin D levels before and during pregnancy to minimize the risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Although the study only looked at African-American women, Dr. Harmon thinks the association is not race-specific and is continuing to investigate the relationship. Intriguingly, the team is also exploring how vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.
Now, you might be wondering why estrogen affects vitamin D levels. Well, more research is needed to fully understand this, but some scientists believe it may alter the metabolism of vitamin D. This relationship between estrogen and vitamin D is worth keeping an eye on as it could have implications for women's health.
- Estrogen-based birth control may influence vitamin D levels in women, according to a study by Dr. Quaker E. Harmon of the National Institutes of Health.
- The study revealed that women using estrogen-based contraceptives typically have higher vitamin D levels than those not using such hormonal methods.
- Vitamin D is crucial for maintaining the correct calcium and phosphorous levels in the blood and aiding in bone formation, a process that is particularly important during pregnancy.
- Despite foods like fish and eggs being high in vitamin D, around 90% of it is produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight, making sun exposure an essential natural method for boosting vitamin D levels.
- Lower vitamin D levels can potentially lead to issues like rickets and osteomalacia, which soften bones, emphasizing the importance of maintaining adequate vitamin D levels, especially during pregnancy.
- Dr. Harmon recommends that women ceasing their contraception should ensure they maintain sufficient vitamin D levels before and during pregnancy to minimize the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, she is continuing to investigate the relationship between vitamin D and women's health across racial lines and throughout the menstrual cycle.
