Oral contraceptive pills can cause a laundry list of side effects and long-term health problems in women, who are not being warned about them.
<strong “mso-bidi-font-weight:=”” normal”=””>Ross Pelton, R.Ph, CCN exposes this problem in his new book, The Pill Problem.
                                          www.thepillproblem.com
He explains that women who take them can expect some or many of the following side effects, some leading to long term health problems that are and not immediately recognizable as a side effect of the drug.

  • Birth defects                                                
  • Cervical dysplasia                                    
  •  Depression                        
  • Sleep disturbance                       
  • Heart attacks                                    
  • Blood clots

           


  • Sexual dysfunction                        
  • Osteoporosis
  • Weakened immune system                                      
  • Cancer of the Uterus, Colon, Breast           
  • Fluid retention and weight gain                                   
  • Vaginal yeast infections
  • High blood pressure        
  • Anemia                   
  • Fatigue   
How can one little pill a day do all this?  The answer is that this drug causes depletion of essential nutrients in the body as well as interfering with the body’s natural hormones.

The pills deplete the following nutrients:

<strong “mso-bidi-font-weight:=”” normal”=””>Folate, Vitamin !2, Magnesium, B vitamins, Zinc, Tyrosine, Vitamin C, and Selenium

Here are a few examples from his book of how these problems can come about. 

Birth defects – When women come off the pill and decide to start a family, they are mostly unaware that the oral contraceptives they have been taking have been gradually depleting their bodies of the nutrients necessary to have a healthy baby! The vitamins B12 and folic acid are necessary for cell division and creating a health nervous system in the baby. Lack of these nutrients in the mother can predispose to Cleft lip and palate and Spina bifida in the baby. Pregnant women are generally told to take a prenatal vitamin once they are pregnant but this might be too little, too late.

Depression – Depression is 1.5 – 3X more frequent in women than in men. One reason for this could be use of birth control pills, which deplete the vitamin B6, which is necessary to make serotonin. This is the brain hormone that makes you feel happy and calm.  Antidepressants work by stopping the breakdown of this hormone. Also, the synthetic progestin interferes with the action of the body’s own natural progesterone, which help bones and mood.

Sleep disorders – Because of vitamin B6 depletion, and consequent serotonin depletion, Melatonin production is reduced because it is made from serotonin.

Headaches – Deficiency of magnesium can trigger migraines.  People with migraines have lower levels of magnesium than others without migraines.

Heart attacks and Strokes – Depletion of the B vitamins (B6, B12, Folate) lead to increased homocysteine and damage to blood vessels, which raises risk of clotting and atherosclerosis.   Vitamin C depletion causes oxidized cholesterol, which contributes to plaque in the arteries.    Also loss of magnesium cause muscle spasm in the heart and a rapid heart rate, as well as high blood pressure.

Blood clots – Loss of magnesium leads to an increase in the ratio of calcium/magnesium. Calcium produces fibrin, which produces clots, and magnesium thins the blood by helping to dissolve clots.

Weakened immune system – Vitamin C is necessary to produce interferon, which fights viruses and for the function of natural killer cells, which fight cancer.

This book is well referenced and an easy, interesting read.  It may just save your life! 

 

Ross Pelton’s website:  www.naturalpharmacist.net