Read Part 1: The Pill: Sex, Drugs and Mood Swings
Oh the pill. Sometimes I miss you. You made it all so much easier. Sort of. Sex may have been a little more worry-free, but I felt like poop. Not only does The Pill (hormone supplement), mess up our natural hormonal balance, take us completely out of touch with our natural cycles but also depletes a myriad of essential nutrients that then cause a whole other basket of conditions and disorders. There are too many to mention so I am going to summarize the main issues, which include estrogen dominance, yeast overgrowth and nutrient depletion.
Estrogen Dominance and The Pill
As simply put as possible, when our hormones are in balance, we are in balance. Our moods are stable, our digestion is regular, our sleep is sweet and deep, our appetite is healthy, our immune system is strong, and our energy is good. Perfect health, right? Hormones aren’t just the sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone but also adrenalin, insulin, cortisol, and thyroid hormones among others. When any one of these is out of whack, the rest tumble along domino style to compensate. Our endocrine system is just that, a system, where it all needs a sweet balance to operate at its best. Now, what happens when we take hormones in the form of supplements? Humpty dumpy has a great fall and we timber to a place of imbalance.
Estrogen dominance is one of the most common results of long term birth control use. Not only is estrogen in the pill, but a form is also in soy foods and now everywhere in our environment so it is no wonder that conditions associated with high levels have taken over. Drinking from plastic bottles, drinking tap water, eating and breathing cause increases in our estrogen levels. It has infiltrated our world and is associated not only with hermaphrodite minnows but also (and this is just a selection): acceleration of the aging process, allergies, asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion, autoimmune disorders, breast cancer, cervical dysplasia, impaired thyroid function, decreased sex drive, depression with anxiety or agitation, dry eyes, endometrial (uterine) cancer, fat around the abdomen, hips and thighs, fatigue, fibrocystic breasts, foggy thinking, hair loss, headaches, hypoglycemia, increased blood clotting, infertility, irregular menstrual periods, irritability, insomnia, mood swings, osteoporosis, polycystic ovaries, PMS, slow metabolism, uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, and bloating.
Fun times ladies. I’ll see your lumpy breasts (which doctors say is normal) and raise you abdominal fat (hello muffin top!) and perhaps a sprinkling of cranky pants (temper tantrum much?)
Yeast Overgrowth and The Pill
I have yet to meet a woman who was on the birth control pill and had never experienced a yeast infection. There is nothing appetizing about cottage cheese discharge and itchy, inflamed vag. We take The Pill which contributes to this, then take an antibiotic to get rid of it, which, actually further contributes. It’s a lose lose. Candida and yeast, are commonly found in the digestive tract, where a healthy balance are imperative to digestive health and immune health. Common lifestyle choices of peeps in our society that include things like The Pill, antibiotics, processed and refined grains and sugar, oodles of stress, and acidic or negative thoughts can all lead to a yeast overgrowth. Toxins from yeast overgrowth then lead to a kit’n'caboodle of other delicious problems, commonly starting with some sweet poon infections. We can then move onto goodies like migraines, infertility, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, psoriasis, PMS, depression and digestive disorders. But hey! We can treat all those as symptoms right? And keep carrying on taking The Pill all the while being flummoxed about why they keep coming back. Oye-gevalt-denka-shayne. No ladies. No, no, no.
In plain English, yeast overgrowth has been closely linked to estrogen dominance in a woman’s body caused by the pill and the risk increases with length of usage.
The Crazies and The Pill
In Nutrition and Vitamin Therapy, Michael Lesser, M.D. has suggested that the “increased blood levels of copper generated by oral contraceptive use may contribute to depression and emotional symptoms”. You don’t say. What about increased blood levels of copper from a copper IUD? Same. Same.
Another profesh on the subject, Sharon DeBuren, nurse practitioner and nutritionist, has stated that the depression from The Pill could likely be a “neurochemical reaction to artificial steroids (female hormones), and from a lack of women’s own superior hormones including estradiol and natural progesterone secreted with ovulation”.
Further, the pill causes major depletion in specific nutrients, such as the B vitamins, responsible for keeping us smiling. So now let’s give a little time to the nutrient losses.
Nutrient Losses With The Pill
Nutrients depleted by The Pill include vitamin B2, B6, B12, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, magnesium and Zinc. Let’s have a look at a few of these.
Vitamin B2 (Roboflavin): Roboflavin has a profound effects on the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. All three of these basic food elements require riboflavin if they are to be properly utilized by the body. A deficiency of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) may result in bloodshot eyes, abnormal sensitivity to light, itching and burning of the eyes, inflammation in the mouth, a sore and burning tongue, and cracks on the lips and in the corners of the mouth. It may also result in dull or oily hair, an oily skin, premature wrinkles on the face and arms, and split nails. Riboflavin deficiency is associated with the malfunctioning of the adrenal glands- making us unable to cope with normal amounts of stress. It can also contribute to such disorders as anaemia, vaginal itching, and cataract. Interestingly, vitamin B2 is vital for normal reproduction, growth, repair and development of body tissues including the skin, eyes, connective tissue, mucous membranes and the immune and nervous systems.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Vitamin B6 supports more vital bodily functions than any other vitamin and works as a co-enzyme (team player) in order for many other reactions to occur in the body, including the digestion and absorption of protein. The forming of histamine, serotonin (keeps us happy), dopamine (lets us sleep) and adrenaline (cope with stress) are dependent on vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is required for the production of serotonin and helps to maintain healthy immune system functions. B6 is required for the balancing of hormonal changes in women as well as assisting the immune system and the growth of new cells. Deficiency symptoms include itchy, peeling skin (dermatitis), cracked and sore lips, dizziness, irritability, depression, neuropathy, poor coordination, confusion, and insomnia.
Magnesium: A vital mineral in the body and is needed for the proper functioning of muscles and nerves, activates cellular enzymatic activity, necessary for calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, sodium and potassium metabolism, important for converting blood sugar into energy and perhaps most important, it is our anti-stress mineral. A deficiency therefore results in muscle cramping, rapid heart rate, aching muscles, menstrual cramping, depression, cranky-pantsness, insomnia, irritability, hyperacidicty, and anxiety to name a few.
Now, don’t all these deficiency symptoms sound an awful lot like PMS? Funny that.
To add to that, because The Pill is metabolized by the liver before being eliminated, it puts an additional burden on an already overworked organ. You may think, ‘Hey, no worries mate’ (especially if you’re Aussie, you would say that) ‘I’ll just take a multi-vitamin and be on my marry, birth control pill taking way’. Not so simple mis amgias.
Elson Haas, MD has the following recommended nutrient program and it is kind of insane, keeping in mind this is only so that you’ll break even. If you already have a deficiency or are dealing with any other health challenge, you need to more than this.
Nutrient Program for Oral Contraceptives
| Water |
1½?2 qt. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vitamin A |
5,000-10,000 IUs |
|
Calcium* |
600-1,000 mg. |
| Beta-carotene |
10,000-20,000 IUs |
|
Chromium |
200-400 mcg. |
| Vitamin D |
200-400 IUs |
|
Copper |
1?- mg. |
| Vitamin E |
400-600 IUs |
|
Iron |
15-20 mg. |
| Tiamine (B1) |
25-50 mg. |
|
Magnesium* |
400-600 mg. |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
25-50 mg. |
|
Manganese |
5-10 mg. |
Niacin or
niacinamide (B3) |
25-50 mg. |
|
Molybdenum |
150-300 mcg. |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
50-250 mg. |
|
Phosphorus |
600-800 mg. |
| Pyridoxine(B6) |
25-50 mg. |
|
Potassium |
1-2 g. |
| Cobalamin (B12) |
50-200 mcg. |
|
Selenium |
150-300 mcg. |
| Folic acid |
600-800 mcg. |
|
Zinc |
30-60 mg. |
| Biotin |
200-400 mcg. |
|
|
| PABA |
25-50 mg. |
|
Fatty acids, olive,
or Flaxseed oils |
1-2 teaspoons |
| Vitamin C |
1?3 g. |
|
|
| Bioflavonoids |
250-500 mg. |
|
|
Other Random Ickies and The Pill
“A woman more than doubles her risk of breast cancer even 20 years after she has stopped taking the pill, and women who have taken the pill for more than eight years also dramatically increase their risk for all cancers.” (British Medical Journal, 2008; 336: 59-60). Some more pretty news is that the “the birth-control pill can lead to an increased risk of gum disease by encouraging bacterial growth in the mouth” (Contraception, 1998; 57: 381-4).
Another sweet nothing I can whisper in your ear is that the birth control pill causes an imbalance in vaginal pH leading to an increased susceptibility to infection. So you can take the pill and go bareback to your heart’s content, but you have also set your vag terrain up for the ideal conditions to contract VD.
Of course there are other options. You think I would freak you out about this and not provide solutions. See you tomorrow, but don’t forget to enter to win one such solution!
Sex, Drugs and Mood Swings Giveaway
A fantastic giveaway by the generous ladies over at
Red Tent Sisters on the Danforth, in Toronto. Post a comment and you enter for a chance to win the
Justisse Kit (more on this on Wednesday), the most natural healthful method of birth control along with a great weekend’s worth of
Glyde Condoms, the most ethical condom company out there. As per usual. Many ways to enter:
Well wasn’t that the week we had here at Making Love In The Kitchen. I am head over heels in love with all the discussions going down over my posts on The Pill. If you missed them earlier in the week, I would say these would be important ones. Just like I stressed with the H1N1 thing, I am not here to make any decisions for you. I am clearly stating my opinion and offering a little info for you to consider. The toughest part is then up to you- making the choice that best suits you.
