Women on the pill risk becoming vitamin D deficient if they stop taking it, researchers have warned.
The finding means that those trying for a baby could lack the nutrient at the vital time before conception and in early pregnancy. US scientists found a link between the hormone oestrogen – which is in the Pill – and higher vitamin D levels.
Taking the Pill can raise levels by 20 %. The conclusion follows tests on 1,700 women in the Detroit area.Vitamin D keeps bones healthy and is produced when the skin is exposed to sunlight.
It can also come from certain foods. It is essential for the development of a baby. But the researchers found that levels of the vitamin fell below the desired level in many women who stopped taking the Pill, according to a report, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.