On the pill? Read this.

A lot of women are on the pill for one reason or another. Avoiding pregnancy or pain management are the most common reasons.

But did you know that the pill can leave you vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies?

I see it with my clients all the time. Being on something as innocuous as the pill, and yet they have symptoms that are synonymous with the very nutrient deficiencies the pill strips you of.

Now before you get all “there’s no way I’m coming off the pill” and click away, realize I’m not telling you to go off the pill, but awareness is key and once you read this, you can take action to make sure your body is getting an increase in the nutrients the pill is destroying so that you don’t feel so shitty all the time.

Nutrient deficiencies in the pill.

According to Natural Medicines.com, and PubMed, the birth control pill has the following deficiencies:

Magnesium

Riboflavin – Vitamin B2

Pyridoxine – Vitamin B6,

Folacin – Folic acid (This is also a B vitamin)

Vitamin B12

Zinc

While deficiency is listed as “moderate”, when you take the pill for 15, 20, 30 plus years, then switch to an HRT type medication in menopause, you are collecting years and years worth of deficiencies, couple that with a less than ideal diet and a shit ton of stress, and bad digestion, you now have a perfect storm of causative factors that can lead to issues that come from deficiencies.

So consider this, if you’re on the pill and also on synthroid, a common medication for low thyroid (which so many people are on), you now have two medications that deplete you of magnesium and B Vitamins. Add in gaviscon or some other heartburn medication, and now you have three things that are all unrelated medically speaking, yet all three are causing you to be deficient in magnesium and B Vitamins. 

Again, couple this with a diet that doesn’t replenish these nutrients, which most “diets” and the standard american diet doesn’t do, and now you are on a fast track to symptomville.

Back to the pill.

So, here are some symptoms to look out for (yes, for real, these are possibly related to a simple nutrient deficiency – not a prescription deficiency):

• Insomnia
• Heart palpitations (if you or your family have a history of heart issues, pay special attention to magnesium! it’s critical for heart health and helps prevent heart attacks).
• Bone issues (weak, brittle)
• Anxiety / depression – I see a lot of people on the pill AND anti-depressants. A decrease in these nutrients affects how tryptophan (an amino acid) is synthesized in the body, and if tryptophan isn’t being synthesized properly, you’re not making enough serotonin. And issues with serotonin equals being put on an anti-depressant. When did your depression start? Could it be as simple as a nutrient deficiency? 
• No energy
• Kidney stones
• PMS issues – cramps, swelling, irritability, fatigue, depression (magnesium is naturally at its lowest during menstruation, with it already being depleted by the pill it can make these symptoms worse). B6 is also important to help with water retention and possible acne.
• Hangovers (magnesium is depleted with booze, I always take a magnesium supplement when I’ve had a couple drinks).
• Eye issues (redness, sensitivity to light)
• Skin issues 
• Hair loss
• Loss of sex drive
• Weight gain – a loss in B vitamins means a lot of metabolic processes are slowed right down in your bod. And metabolism is what controls how efficiently your body uses carbs, protein and fat for fuel.

How to replenish:

Magnesium

• Supplement (take on an empty stomach)
• Leafy greens, nuts and seeds, seafood
• Whole grains like wheat or brown rice (not breads though, the whole grain).
• Epsom salt baths

B Vitamins

• Supplement – best to supplement with a B Complex, then add in additional B6, B12 etc since all B vitamins need each other to work properly. Check with your nutritionist first before adding in additional B vitamins.
• Food! B vitamins are found in lots of different foods, B12 is mostly found in animal foods so vegans really need to supplement. Whole grains (intact, not flours), organ meat, seaweed, eggs, dark leafy greens.
• Avoid over-cooking your foods, B vitamins are destroyed quite easily in boiled foods. Eat more raw stuff.

What else you can do

• Ease off on the processed shit. Seriously, that stuff gives you NOTHING. Don’t get fooled by the label where it says “added Vitamin C” or whatever. Nature knows the best kind of nutrients you need, and your body understands nature’s nutrients more than it understands a nutrient made in a laboratory. The “iron” used in fortified foods is actually the same iron in metal used for cars. I’d rather get my iron from the soil, thank you.
• Manage your stress better.
• Look for other methods to help with cramps etc, or for birth control if you have a lot of these symptoms.
• Book a call with me to help you sort this out. It’s free.