Unearthed connection between vitamin D and contraceptive practices hypothesized

Potential connection between vitamin D and contraceptives revealed

Revised Article

Hopping onto the topic of vitamins, let's dive into Vitamin D, the unsung hero that keeps our bones strong and calcium levels in check. Food sources like fish and eggs are rich in this nutrient, but guess what accounts for about 90% of our Vitamin D intake? Sunshine, my friend!

A deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to rickets (yikes, for kids) and osteomalacia (softening of the bones, not so cool for adults either). As it is crucial for bone formation, especially during pregnancy, it's important to keep Vitamin D levels in check.

Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, decided to investigate any changes in Vitamin D levels associated with taking oral contraceptives.

Vitamin D and Contraception

Dr. Harmon and her team carried out a study using data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF), focusing on around 1,700 African-American women residing in Detroit, MI, aged 23-34. They asked the women questions about their contraceptive use and outdoor exposure, plus any Vitamin D supplements they took.

In total, 1,662 women provided blood samples to check levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the most common circulating form of Vitamin D.

The results? Women using contraception containing estrogen generally had higher Vitamin D levels than other women. Even after accounting for confounding factors, like seasonal sunlight exposure, the impact remained significant.

"It seems that contraceptives containing estrogen tend to boost Vitamin D levels," said Dr. Harmon, "and those levels will likely drop when women stop using contraception." After adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20 percent increase in Vitamin D levels.

Current users showed higher levels of Vitamin D, while past users had average Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Early Pregnancy

These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, indicate that a woman, as she plans to become pregnant, runs the risk of developing Vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Harmon offers some advice:

"For women planning to stop using birth control, it's worth taking steps to ensure that Vitamin D levels are adequate while trying to conceive and during pregnancy."

Wondering why estrogen-based contraception might impact Vitamin D levels? "We're still figuring it out," explains Dr. Harmon, "but other research suggests that the levels of other Vitamin D metabolites change when women use estrogen-containing contraception. This hints at possible alterations in the metabolism of Vitamin D."

This study focused solely on African-American women; however, Dr. Harmon clarifies that the same association has been observed in women of different races. Why the connection between Vitamin D and contraception in African-American women, then?

"In the United States, African-American women are more likely to be Vitamin D-deficient. Small increases or decreases in their Vitamin D concentrations might have a more significant impact," elaborates Dr. Harmon.

She continued to follow this group of women to further investigate the relationship and is also working with another group to look at how Vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.

The study conducted by Dr. Harmon and her team focused on 1,662 African-American women, investigating any changes in Vitamin D levels associated with using contraception.
The results of the study showed that women using contraception containing estrogen generally had higher Vitamin D levels than other women.
After adjustments for confounding variables, the use of contraceptive pills, patches, or rings containing estrogen was associated with a 20 percent increase in Vitamin D levels.
For women planning to stop using birth control, ensuring adequate Vitamin D levels while trying to conceive and during pregnancy is worth considering, as indicated by these findings.
The association between Vitamin D and contraception has been observed not just in African-American women but in women of different races as well.
Dr. Harmon is further investigating the relationship between Vitamin D and contraception and is also working with another group to study how Vitamin D varies across the menstrual cycle.