Vitamins D and contraception's surprising association found
Women on Estrogen-Based Birth Control Show Higher Vitamin D Levels
A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reveals that African-American women utilizing estrogen-based contraceptives exhibit higher levels of vitamin D compared to non-users. This increase in vitamin D is seen among current users of estrogen-containing birth control methods, such as pills, patches, or rings, and may decline when usage ceases.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF). This investigation, involving nearly 1,700 African-American women living in and around Detroit, MI, between the ages of 23 and 34, aimed to examine potential changes in vitamin D levels associated with oral contraceptives.
The study questioned women about their contraceptive use, including duration and the type of method employed. Participants were also asked about their time spent outdoors and any intake of vitamin D supplements. In total, 1,662 women provided blood samples to determine levels of the most common circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Every year, pregnant women produce increased levels of the active form of vitamin D to support the growth of the fetal skeleton, making them more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency and related bone issues. The researchers' findings suggest that women currently using birth control containing estrogen exhibit higher vitamin D levels, and those who previously used such methods have average vitamin D levels.
After accounting for potential confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen proved to be associated with 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. This association might be explained by estrogen's role in modulating vitamin D metabolism, enhancing the activity of enzymes responsible for vitamin D activation in the body.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, the study's primary author, stated that further research is needed to fully understand this relationship and to determine whether it applies to women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, given the broader health implications of vitamin D deficiency, African-American women who are planning to stop using birth control are encouraged to ensure adequate vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.
MNT also asked Dr. Harmon about the specific reasons behind the association between estrogen-containing birth control and higher vitamin D levels. She suggested that further work is needed to understand the potential alterations in vitamin D metabolism that might occur when women use estrogen-based contraceptives.
- The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that African-American women using estrogen-based birth control have higher levels of vitamin D compared to non-users.
- Researchers from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that women using estrogen-containing birth control methods, such as pills, patches, or rings, have higher vitamin D levels.
- The study on the potential changes in vitamin D levels associated with oral contraceptives involved nearly 1,700 African-American women.
- After accounting for potential confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with 20 percent higher levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
- The scientists' findings suggest that women currently using birth control containing estrogen exhibit higher vitamin D levels, while those who previously used such methods have average vitamin D levels.
- further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between estrogen-containing birth control and higher vitamin D levels, and whether it applies to women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
