The Real Risks of Birth Control Pills

Across America, birth control pills are often found as a staple in any woman’s medicine cabinet. Birth control pills seem ideal, after all, they help prevent pregnancy in women who don’t want one. Pills are quick, easy and convenient. What could be better than that? Unfortunately, birth control pills aren’t as safe and ideal as many might believe. Birth control pills have a great deal of risks associated with their use; risks that every woman contemplating birth control should consider prior to implementing it into her daily routine.

Synthetic hormones
With more women becoming interested in more natural and healthy lifestyles, it’s no wonder why the artificial nature of birth control is coming under fire. Birth control is, simply put, synthetic hormones. These hormones are man-made and packaged into pills for consumers to ingest. Many types of birth control contain extermely high levels of the female hormone, estrogen. These high levels of estrogen act on the body by making it behave hormonally as if it is pregnant. As a result, many women on birth control pills experience symptoms usually related to pregnancy. Additionally, the uterine lining thickens, and ovulation fails to occur because the body believes it is pregnant. Then, once the placebo pills are started, estrogen levels fall drastically, resulting in a “normal” period. These type of cycles are not natural and it may be worth considering the possible repercussions of subjecting the body to these artificial cycles and hormones month after month.

Nutrient depletion
Emerging evidence over the last few years has indicated that the use of birth control pills in women, particularly young women, has been shown to deplete many of the crucially important vitamins and minerals of the body. These vitamins and minerals include vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and CoQ10. These vitamins contribute greatly to proper function and maintenance of bodily processes. A depletion or deficiency of these vitamins and minerals may contribute to a myriad of health conditions, such as depression, migraines, anemia, and cervical dysplasia, a condition that acts as a precursor to cancer of the cervix. These depletions of vitamins and minerals make sense when women are encouraged to discontinue the use of birth control several months prior to trying to conceive, presumably, so that the woman is able to rebuild and restore proper vitamin and mineral levels in her body.

Heart disease

Currently, studies are inconclusive as to whether or not birth controls may be linked to the incidence of heart disease in women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, making anything that may increase the risks of heart disease of great concern. A study conducted in 2003 indicated the excessive presence of a protein known as C-reactive protein in the blood of young women who took birth control pills. This specific protein results from systemic inflammation and is related to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries and is presumed to be caused by the vitamin and mineral deficiencies mentioned previously. Although there is still no conclusive evidence that birth control may be linked to the incidence of heart disease in women, it is still a very real possibility that women should not dismiss lightly.

Other side effects
Birth control pills have an incredibly lengthy list of possible side effects resulting from their use. These side effects range from mild in nature, to severe and life-threatening, all of which are possible while a woman is taking birth control pills. These side effects include nausea, morning sickness, irregular menstrual cycles, loose bowel movements, bloating, depression, palpitations, abnormal vaginal discharge, breast tenderness, changes in libido, hypertension, fluid retention, decreased calcium, weight gain, hair changes, vision problems, gallstones, cardiac failure, susceptibility to infection, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, increased risk of cervical and endometrial cancers, jaundice and clotting issues.

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