Nutrition tips to support your post-pill transition

Stopping the birth control pill can be a daunting and scary thing - however, it is also an incredible powerful and empowering choice to make. Many women have relied on the pill for years for our own personal reasons and quitting can catalyze understandable anxieties -

Will I lose my period?

Will I gain weight?

Will I get acne?

Will I still be able to get pregnant?

Will my hormones be all out of whack?

These thoughts are all valid, and you have probably even heard other women report some of these side effects. However, the more you know regarding your body and the pill, the more you can prepare yourself to reduce the risk of side effects post-pill.

How do hormonal contraceptives work?

Hormonal birth control, or hormonal contraceptives, are any form of birth control that contain synthetic hormones. This includes the pill, implants, non-copper IUDs, shots, patches, and vaginal rings. These birth control methods work by releasing synthetic hormones into the body: either a combination of estrogen and progestin, or progestin only. Simply put, these synthetic hormones tell our brain to shut down ovulation. And no ovulation = no pregnancy.

Understanding that this is not the typical way our body wants to work in a natural state can give insight into why women experience side effects while taking the pill and other hormonal birth control methods, and especially after discontinuing use.

Nutritional deficiencies and birth control

One of the main side effects of hormonal contraceptives are nutritional deficiencies such as B vitamins, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. If micronutrient deficiencies are not addressed properly, it can further disrupt hormonal function and cause other imbalances within the body.

Helping to balance the body and hormones with nutrition can be done while taking hormonal contraceptives as well immediately before and after quitting. In other words, there are things we can do to reduce unwanted side effects during all stages of pill use.

Proper nutrition is a great starting point for balancing hormones. Below explains the main nutrients that are depleted from hormonal birth control use, why it affects the body, and how to replenish the body with food and/or supplementation.

B VITAMINS

• B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins needed for stable energy, liver support, and blood sugar control.
• Foods high in B vitamins: Pasture-raised eggs, Grass-fed meat, Dairy products, Leafy green vegetables, Citrus fruit, Bananas.
• Supplement: B complex.

FOLIC ACID / FOLATE

• Folic Acid is a synthetic form of B9 (people with MTHFR genetic mutation often cannot break down synthetic folic acid). It is needed for red blood cell formation and healthy cell growth, especially important for the early stages of pregnancy to reduce risk of birth defects. Folate is the natural form of B9.
• Foods high in natural folate: Edamame, Lentils, Liver, Beans, Spinach, Collard greens, Broccoli.
• Supplement: Folic acid if tolerated, High-quality prenatal vitamin.

VITAMIN C

• Vitamin C is needed for a strong immune system. It also supports healthy skin and collagen production.
• Foods high in Vitamin C: Acerola cherries, Berries, Citrus fruits, Peppers.
• Supplement: Liposomal Vitamin C, Acerola cherry.

VITAMIN E

• Vitamin E is full of antioxidant properties and is needed for healthy vision, reproductive health, and brain, blood, and skin health.
• Foods high in Vitamin E: Olive oil, Almonds, Other nuts and seeds.
• Supplement: Vitamin E.

Zinc

• Zinc helps with immune health and metabolism function. It allso supports healthy skin.
• Foods high in Zinc: Pumpkin seeds (try organic and sprouted), Oysters.
• Supplement: Zinc Picolinate.

MAGNESIUM

• Magnesium helps power over 300 bodily functions. It helps with regulating muscle function (including heart health!) and maintaining a healthy blood pressure. It can also help reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, decrease asthma symptoms, improve digestion, and optimize bone health.  
• Foods high in magnesium: Dark chocolate, Avocado, Nuts and seeds.
• Supplement: Magnesium glycinate (more calming and good to take before bed), Magnesium lycinate.

SELENIUM

• Selenium is needed for healthy thyroid function. A functioning thyroid is key to maintaining reproductive hormonal balance as well as regulating our energy.
• Foods high in selenium: Brazil nuts (just a few per day).

CoQ10

• Coenzyme Q10 (“CoQ10”) is an antioxidant needed for healthy brain function. While our body naturally produces this nutrient, we can also get it from outside food sources.
• Foods high in CoQ10: Meat, Fish, Whole grains.
• Supplement: High-quality CoQ10.

Other support

In addition to being aware of these nutrients that can be suppressed from hormonal birth control, it is good to know about supplements and foods that help support our bodies to re-balance themselves and heal:

TURMERIC

• Turmeric, known for its bright yellow color and anti-inflammatory properties, is often found in curries and other Eastern dishes.
• You can add turmeric into stews, toss it into vegetables before roasting, add fresh grated turmeric or powdered form to tea, or ingest it through high-quality pills.

VITAMIN D3

• Vitamin D3 supports our immune system and bone health (through supporting calcium regulation). We absorb Vitamin D3 most efficiently from the sun, since outdoor exposure is generally depleted during colder months, this is one reason why we tend to be more susceptible to colds and flus during the winter.
• If you are low in Vitamin D, try to get outside more frequently and consider a high-quality Vitamin D3 + K2 supplement. Similar to how D3 helps with calcium absorption, K2 helps with absorption of D3.

FISH OIL

• Fish oil is full of omega 3 fatty acids. Upping your intake of omega 3 fatty acids helps to balance Omega 3 vs Omega 6 fats in the body, which can help to decrease inflammation.
• Birth control is inflammatory for many so it’s important to use anti-inflammatory strategies to counter this in order to calm the body’s inflammatory response and support healing.

PROBIOTICS

• A high quality probiotic - and fermented foods - help to support a healthy balance of good gut bacteria, which is needed for optimal gut health.
• A happy gut is the basis for the rest of our health. If we aren’t able to efficiently and effectively absorb the nutrients from all of the superfoods we are eating,

So what now?

You can see how nutritional deficiencies can contribute to systemic issues and the dreaded side effects of hormonal birth control use. Having this knowledge in your tool box, you can use it to your power to take action for your nutritional choices.

Foods should be nutrient-dense, whole from the earth, locally-sourced, and organic if possible. Some of these foods include grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, wild caught fish, bone broth, organic fruits and veggies, organic oatmeal, grass-fed butter (delicious and filled with vitamins), olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and hydration.

When preparing a meal, make sure your plate is balanced by making sure that you include each of the below categories. Each meal should contain proper carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and fibers to support balance and healing. Balanced meals support blood sugar control and adequate nutritional intake to fuel your body, which in turn supports overall hormonal balance.

• Carbohydrate examples: Oatmeal, Rice, Quinoa, Sweet potatoes, Beans, Lentils, Fruits, Vegetables.
• Fat examples: Olive oil, Avocado oil, Coconut oil, Grass-fed butter, Ghee, Lard, Pasture-raised eggs, Wild-caught fish, Grass-fed beef, Avocados, Raw and sprouted nuts and seeds, Nut butters, Dark chocolate.
• Protein examples: Pasture-raised poultry, Wild-caught fish, Grass-fed beef, Bone broth (and collagen supplements), Nuts/seeds, Lentils, Beans, Yogurt.
• Fiber examples: Chia seeds, Beans, Lentils, Quinoa, Oatmeal, Fruits, Green peas, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Almonds, Most other colorful vegetables.

To take with you

What to do today? Take this information and make informed and educated decisions for yourself. Whether you are on hormonal birth control, thinking about stopping it, or have stopped the pill - your body needs some nutritional love and support.

Take what serves you, and be the best version of you.

REFERENCES:

Beyond the Pill, Dr. Jolene Brighten

Mayo Clinic

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23852908

https://drbrighten.com/birth-control-what-your-doctor-didnt-tell-you/

https://drbrighten.com/the-contraception-guide/

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