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Since the introduction of oral contraceptives in the early 1960s, the use of The Pill, as it is generally known, has soared to approximately 7 in 10 women of childbearing age. Among young women ages 18-24, oral contraceptives use is especially high, reaching two-thirds in 2008. It seems most women have no knowledge of natural birth control options whatsoever!
The widespread use of The Pill is a troubling issue because oral contraceptives devastate beneficial bacterial flora in the gut leaving it vulnerable to colonization and dominance from pathogenic strains such as Candida albicans, Streptococci, and Staphylococci among others.
By the time a woman who has used birth control pills is ready to have children, a severe case of intractable gut dysbiosis has more than likely taken hold.
Most people think that only the use of drugs such as antibiotics causes gut imbalances, but this is simply not true.
According, to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, many other drugs such as the Pill also cause severe gut dysbiosis. What’s worse, a drug-induced gut imbalance is especially resistant to treatment either with probiotics or diet change.
What does this mean for your future child’s health? A lot, as it turns out!
The Pill and Nutritional Deficiencies
First of all, gut imbalance brought on through the use of The Pill negatively impacts the ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. As a result, even if a woman eats spectacularly well during pregnancy, she can experience nutritional deficiencies. If she has been taking oral contraceptives for a long period of time, it is highly likely that she and her baby are not reaping the full benefits of the healthy food she is eating. The lack of beneficial flora in her gut prevents this from occurring.
In addition, beneficial bacteria actively synthesize nutrients. These include vitamin K1, pantothenic acid, folate (NOT synthetic folic acid), thiamin (B1), cyanocobalamin (B12), amino acids and others. In an imbalanced gut, a woman is missing out on the “natural supplementation” that these good strains provide to her and her growing baby.
Not well known is the fact that using the Pill depletes zinc in the body. Zinc is called “the intelligence mineral” as it is intimately involved in mental development.
As a result, it is very important for women who have been using the Pill for any length of time to wait at least 6 months before becoming pregnant to ensure that zinc levels return to normal. Low zinc is associated with lowered IQ and birth defects. If you are concerned that your levels might be low, try this easy at-home zinc deficiency test to give you peace of mind.
It really is quite disturbing to fully realize the very real potential that the use of The Pill has to trigger nutritional deficiencies!
Pathogenic Gut Flora from Birth Control Pills Produce a Myriad of Toxins
Pathogenic, opportunistic flora that takes hold in the gut when The Pill is used constantly produce toxic substances. They are the by-products of their metabolism. These toxins leak into the woman’s bloodstream and guess what, they have the potential to cross the placenta! Therefore, gut dysbiosis exposes the fetus to toxins even if the woman never eats anything but organic foods and lives in an environment with no pollutants whatsoever.
Indeed, an imbalanced gut has the potential to expose a woman and her baby to just as many or even more toxins than her environment through self-poisoning!
Gut Dysbiosis Triggered by The Pill and Anemia Go Hand in Hand
Most people with abnormal gut flora also suffer from various stages of anemia. This is because some of the most common pathogenic strains of bacteria that take hold in an imbalanced gut are those that consume iron: Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.Coli, Corynebacterium spp. and others.
Anemia during pregnancy is especially dangerous. Not only can it deprive the fetus of oxygen (iron helps build red blood cells and red blood cells carry oxygen), but it is linked to low birth weight and pre-term birth and the many long term health and associated developmental problems.
Can iron supplements during pregnancy combat this problem?
In a word, no! How many women do you know who consistently battle low iron during pregnancy despite consuming iron supplements and eating iron-rich foods? I personally know many such cases.
The reason is that the more iron a patient with gut dysbiosis consumes in either food or supplement form, the stronger these pathogenic, iron loving strains become! The extra iron “feeds” them, so to speak, much the same as sugar feeds Candida albicans. The cure for gut dysbiotic anemia is to heal and seal the gut, not take iron supplements!
A Baby “Inherits” Gut Dysbiosis from Mom
A human baby is born with a sterile gut. This means that there is no bacterial activity in a fetus’ digestive system prior to birth. The vast majority of gut flora that a child eventually develops is inherited from Mom. This occurs via the baby swallowing microbes both good and bad during vaginal birth. If Mom has a gut imbalance, it will be the same situation in her vagina. Hence, her children’s intestines will be seeded with the same microbes during delivery. Babies born via Cesarean section are at risk for even more unbalanced gut flora.
Children with imbalanced gut flora are particularly predisposed to autoimmune disorders in the form of allergies, asthma, and eczema. In more severe cases of gut dysbiosis, learning disabilities manifest such as ADHD, ADD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others. Of course, there is sometimes an environmental “trigger” which instigates these disorders. But, it is crucial to keep in mind that gut dysbiosis is the primary underlying cause.
Think Twice Before Taking Birth Control Pills
When considering whether or not to take oral contraceptives, women rarely if ever consider the long term implications to themselves let alone their children. This is no surprise given that doctors rarely if ever mention this sort of thing when prescribing antibiotics let alone The Pill to their patients!
Therefore, it is vital that women be fully informed of the potentially devastating consequences to their health and that of their children from birth control pills. Even their grandchildren may be affected according to preliminary research. This full disclosure is critical and the most ethical course of action for prescribing physicians.
Sources
March of Dimes, pregnancy complications
Mineral Primer
Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD
More Information
170 Scientific Studies Confirm the Dangers of Soy
Why Even Organic Soy Formula is so Dangerous for Babies
The Dangers of Estrogenic Foods, Herbs, and Drugs
I have been having terrible troubles with Endometriosis and Ovarian cysts over the last 18 months. I’ve had two surgeries due to unbearable pain. My doc’s only solution is the Pill, although he now says the IUD might even be better. I don’t know what to do. Suggestions? Wish I could afford a naturopath, but we live on a very tight budget.
Sarah, what about the copper IUD that is hormone free? Is that a safe method of birth control? Thanks.
I am curious, does this also apply to other hormonal forms of birth control? I have been on implanon for almost four years now and I am worried that it will have negative effects for me in the future
If anyone has problems going off of birth control I would suggest vitex and evening primrose.. birth control is bad dangerous stuff that doctors just hand out like candy it is ridiculous
Dear Sarah,
I was so horrified to read this article, but also glad to hear the truth! I am suffering from Endometriosis and had to have a bunch removed last fall, along with one of my ovaries. The only thing the doctors tell me is that I MUST be on the pill to prevent further occurrences of the Endo. I’m seeking alternatives, because I don’t want to do the pill. Any ideas on where I can search? I’m feeling desperate to prevent the Endo and haven’t found much info yet on what other things I can do. Please help!!!!
What is the Paleo and GAPS diet? How do you know if you passed on the bad gut flora to your child? What can you do for your child if you passed it to them?
I’ve been married 7 years with two kids and one on the way. I am happy to report that I have NEVER taken ANY sort of birth control. Even though I used to not be a natural person, I just FELT like it was wrong and MUST be bad for a woman’s body. We have used NOTHING except Natural Family Planning. If you learn how to tell when you are fertile and when you’re not, you can avoid pregnancy! It worked perfectly for us, whenever we wanted to have a baby, we got pregnant within two months! ( sometimes the very first month!) Women are only able to get pregnant for about 24 or less hour period each month, and you can figure out when this is easily! There are many resources, I read a book, but can’t remember the name… here is one that sounds just like it: :http://www.amazon.com/The-Ovulation-Method-Natural-Planning/dp/0814610110
I always had a bad feeling about the pill too & was told about the dangers by my good friends way before we got married & so I never touched the Pill. Or vaccines for us or our children. I’m so thankful I never did & we use(d) Natural Family Planning. I even went to a fertility specialist to learn how to follow my cycle because we had infertility which included an ectopic & some miscarriages. So for 8 yrs & another 2, I didn’t worry about preventing pregnancy! I can’t imagine the complications I would’ve had if I used the Pill in my life.
I knew nothing of the dangers of the pill when I got married but instinctively have always avoided it as it seemed dangerous to me to manipulate hormones with drugs. I figured it would inevitably have a high cost to pay. I’m so glad I never used it.
Thoughts?