Explored relationship between vitamin D and contraception
Swinging up Vitamin D Levels with Contraception
The strange link between estrogen-based birth control and increased vitamin D levels is under the microscope. A recent investigation reveals that women on estrogen-packed contraceptives experience higher vitamin D levels compared to non-users. Yet, the exact reason behind this association remains a mystery.
The scientific community is intrigued by this discovery, as vitamin D helps regulate the correct balance of calcium and phosphorous in the blood and plays a crucial role in bone health. This essential nutrient is found in abundance in food sources like fish and eggs, but a whopping 90% of vitamin D comes from sunlight-induced skin production.
When contraceptives containing estrogen are part of a woman's routine, a 20 percent increase in vitamin D levels is noticeable. This remains significant even when factoring in confounding variables. However, it's worth mentioning that estrogen-based birth control doesn't seem to affect vitamin D indefinitely. Once a woman stops taking them, her vitamin D levels drop significantly.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at a cohort of approximately 1700 African-American women, aged 23-34, living around Detroit, Michigan. The study investigated their reproductive health, including contraceptive use and time spent outside, as well as the consumption of vitamin D supplements. They found that estrogen-based contraception enhances vitamin D levels, although they couldn't find adequate explanations for this surge.
Dr. Quaker E. Harmon, a lead researcher from the study, stresses the importance of maintaining vitamin D levels when trying to conceive and during pregnancy. The current study contributes to a growing body of evidence that women transitioning from birth control to pregnancy might unwittingly face vitamin D deficiency.
It's essential to note that while this study focuses on African-American women, the same association has been observed in women of other races as well. However, African-American women are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency, making even small increases or decreases in their vitamin D levels relevant.
Future research will delve deeper into the relationship between estrogen-based contraception and vitamin D levels to unlock the mystery behind this peculiar correlation. While the specific mechanism remains unclear, this latest discovery highlights the complex interplay between our hormones and nutrient levels.
- Women on estrogen-packed contraceptives experience higher vitamin D levels compared to non-users, and this connection intrigues the scientific community.
- The increased vitamin D levels, observed in women on estrogen-based birth control, are significant even after considering confounding variables.
- Researchers studying women's health and multi-nutrient deficiencies have found that estrogen-based contraception enhances vitamin D levels, although they haven't found adequate explanations for this surge.
- Maintaining vitamin D levels, especially for women trying to conceive and during pregnancy, is crucial, as the current study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that women transitioning from birth control to pregnancy might unwittingly face vitamin D deficiency.
- The association between estrogen-based contraception and vitamin D levels has not only been observed in African-American women but also in women of other races.
- Future research in the field of health-and-wellness and nutrition aims to delve deeper into understanding the complex interplay between our hormones and nutrient levels, particularly regarding women's vitamins like vitamin D.
