Does stop of birth control lower Vitamin D levels? According to a new study, it does.
Sun Exposure – Vitamin D Synthesis
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that women might experience lower vitamin D levels after they stop using contraceptives that contain estrogen. The participants in this study were almost 1700 African-American women between the ages of 23 and 34 and they answered questions about the amount of time they spent outdoors, contraceptive use and any vitamin D supplements they took.
We could not find any behavioral differences such as increased time spent outdoors to explain the increase. Our findings suggest that contraceptives containing estrogen tend to boost vitamin D levels, and those levels are likely to fall when women cease using contraception.
said Dr Quaker E Harmon who led the study.
He also added : “Our findings indicate women may run the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency just when they want to become pregnant”
“For women who are planning to stop using birth control, it is worth taking steps to ensure that vitamin D levels are adequate while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.”
Vitamin D is involved in the function of the immune system and the calcium levels in the blood which is vital for bone health. In orded to support formation of the fetal skeleton, women produce increased amounts of Vitamin D during pregnancy. Vitamin D from diet or dermal synthesis during exposure to sunlight, is inactive and it is biologically activated in the liver and kidney.