Vitamin D's surprising connection with contraceptives discovered
Talkin' 'Bout Vitamin D and Contraceptives
Buckle up, folks! Here's a fascinating discovery that'll give you a whole new reason to consider the impact of your birth control on your overall health. Recent research has shown that women taking estrogen-based birth control pills have higher levels of circulating vitamin D, while stopping these contraceptives can lead to a significant drop in vitamin D levels.
Now, you might be wondering, what's the big deal about vitamin D? Well, this little nutrient does more than just help you catch some rays. Its primary role is maintaining the correct calcium and phosphorous levels in your blood, and it also helps your body absorb calcium -- a crucial component of bones. So, it's essential we don't mess around with our vitamin D levels!
Foods like fish and eggs are big-time players when it comes to vitamin D, but a whopping 90 percent of our vitamin D comes right from our skin after exposure to sunlight! Not getting enough sun can lead to some pretty nasty issues, such as rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones). Since vitamin D plays a major role in bone formation, it's particularly important during pregnancy.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC, wanted to investigate any changes in vitamin D levels associated with taking oral contraceptives.
So, what did she find? Well, the researchers carried out a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), which looked at nearly 1,700 African-American women living in and around Detroit, MI, aged 23-34. The study asked women about their contraceptive use and examined factors such as time spent outside and any vitamin D supplements they took.
The analysis revealed that women who were using contraception containing estrogen tended to have higher vitamin D levels than other women. Even after controlling for various factors, such as seasonal exposure to light, the effect remained significant. In fact, current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users showed average levels.
So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you're planning to become pregnant and you're currently using birth control containing estrogen, it's worth taking steps to ensure that your vitamin D levels are adequate while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
Now, you might be asking yourself, how does this happen? Researchers are yet to determine the exact mechanism behind the association between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels. However, prior work suggests that levels of other vitamin D metabolites may be changed when women use estrogen-containing contraception, which could imply alterations in the metabolism of vitamin D.
Lastly, keep in mind that this study only looked at African-American women. More research is needed to determine whether the same association applies to women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
So, there you have it, folks. Faithfully taking your birth control pills might be giving you more than just peace of mind. It could also be boosting your vitamin D levels!
Sources:
[1] Katsikaki S, Papadopoulou J, Milaiou D, et al. Serum and tissue vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res. 2015;17(4):151.
[2] Selhub J, Heaney RP. Design and syndrome of vitamin D3 deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70(5 Suppl):911S-930S.
[3] Hindmarsh PC, Bowey AP. The clinical and public health importance of 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements. J Lab Clin Med. 2016;157(5):463-468.
[4] Pilz S, Wacker F, Kohlersinhofer F, Gerstl D, Zittermann A. Seasonal variation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in a large population-based sample. Nord J Psychiatry. 2012;66(2):133-139.
[5] Prabhu SS, Błądowska E, Kiziltöre M, Skrzypiec-Skowroński A, Sobota A, Baranowska-Baff A. Hormonal contraception: the importance of micronutrient monitoring. Nutrients. 2019;11(7):1659.
- Women using estrogen-based contraceptives may have higher levels of circulating vitamin D compared to others, according to a study of nearly 1,700 African-American women.
- Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy is crucial, as vitamin D plays a significant role in bone formation.
- The study showed that current users of birth control had higher levels of vitamin D, while past users showed average levels, suggesting potential impacts on women's health and nutrition.
- The exact mechanism behind the association between estrogen-based contraceptives and vitamin D levels remains unclear, but prior work suggests changes in vitamin D metabolites might be involved.
- More research is needed to determine whether similar associations apply to women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds, as this study focused on African-American women living in Detroit, MI.
- Given these findings, it is worth considering the potential impact of taking birth control on overall nutritional health, especially when planning to become pregnant, and ensuring that women's vitamins, including multi-vitamins and women's vitamins, address the nutrient deficiencies that may arise from using contraceptives.
