Article reposted from Body Ecology:
Did you know that an estimated 150 million women worldwide take birth control pills?
Did you know that birth control pills destroy the beneficial bacteria in your gut?
Did you know that birth control pills steal your serotonin (happy hormone!)?
Such widespread use of birth control pills worries me because many women are not aware of the serious health implications of these drugs. I also believe that birth control pills are often prescribed to address symptoms (like cramping, spotting, irregular periods and acne) instead of the underlying causes of the symptoms.
Many women do not consider the very real (and sometimes very dangerous) side effects of these synthetic hormones, but you owe it to your body, and to your future children, to find out more.
BIRTH CONTROL: SYNTHETIC HORMONES
First, let’s understand how birth control pills work in your body.
Typically, your body ovulates once a month, ripening a new egg that will then journey down a fallopian tube. Eventually it reaches the uterus, where it would implant, if fertilized.
If not fertilized by a sperm, then the lining of the uterus that had built up in preparation for the fertilized egg is unnecessary. Both egg and uterine lining leave your body, cleansing your system and preparing for a new month.
When you take birth control pills, you impose synthetic hormones on your natural cycle.
Many birth control pills contain high levels of estrogen that effectively convince your pituitary gland that you are pregnant (this explains some of the side effects of the drugs) and that you don’t need to ovulate. Because your body thinks you are pregnant, the uterine lining thickens. Once you start the placebo pills, however, your estrogen level drops suddenly, and your body menstruates “normally.”
This abnormal cycle is what millions of women experience every month, and yet few doctors discuss the consequences of taking these prescriptions for year after year.
REAL RISKS
Here is an overview of the reported risks and side effects of birth control pills.
Some physical and emotional changes take place that are permanent while you stay on the pill. Many of these changes occur as your body’s response to synthetic estrogen.
These changes include:
Larger breasts
Weight gain or loss
Reduced or increased acne
Slight nausea
Emotional sensitivity right before your period
Mood swings throughout your cycle
Irregular bleeding or spotting
Breast tenderness
Decreased libido
The above side effects might be enough to deter some women from taking birth control, but many women are just not aware of them, while others justify the side effects because the pill is so convenient.
But imagine taking your birth control pill, feeling depressed and then taking an antidepressant to handle your mood swings and hypersensitivity. Adding an antidepressant could then contribute to even lower libido, which would surely be noticed by you and your partner.
My point is that birth control pills are a prescription drug with very real ramifications on your overall health.
And even scarier than the “mild” side effects are the serious health risks that accompany birth control pills. These include: ,
Increased risk of cervical and breast cancers
Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
Migraines
Higher blood pressure
Gall bladder disease
Infertility
Benign liver tumors
Decreased bone density
Yeast overgrowth and infection
Increased risk of blood clotting
Cancer, heart disease, stroke, infertility.
Surely these side effects make birth control pills a less than desirable option for contraception. And now that heart disease has become the leading cause of death among women, one has to wonder if there is a connection between the widespread and long-term use of oral contraceptives, which debuted in 1960… just as the first of the baby boomers were entering their teens.
Yeast overgrowth and yeast infections (candida), too, are particularly dangerous to your overall health.
Birth control pills actually destroy the beneficial bacteria in your intestines, making you more susceptible to yeast overgrowth, lower immunity and infection.
The Body Ecology System for Health and Healing is unique because of our understanding and focus on the inner ecosystem. With a healthy inner ecosystem, good bacteria and yeast (microflora) thrive in your intestines, helping you to digest food, protect you from illness and disease, and absorb and manufacture vital nutrients.
You can encourage the health of your inner ecosystem by implementing Body Ecology’s Seven Universal Healing Principles, living a low stress lifestyle and avoiding recreational and medicinal drugs and empty, toxic foods that upset the balance of beneficial microflora in your body.
After years and years of taking birth control pills and creating an imbalanced inner ecosystem (with an overgrowth of bad bacteria and yeast), it is no wonder that women are at greater risk for infections as well as chronic diseases like cancer.
THE BIRTH CONTROL SOLUTION
Sometimes birth control methods are very necessary for preventing unwanted pregnancies, but I urge you to learn more about other natural options that do not damage your health.
Condoms (both male and female), the diaphragm and cervical cap are all reasonable options for birth control. However, we highly recommend that you become familiar with the work of Katie Singer and her book, The Garden of Fertility. Ms Singer writes about Fertility Awareness, a natural method for birth control that enhances your chances of conceiving, and gauging gynecological health.Here you will find the secret fortuning in with Nature instead of going against Her.
If you are taking birth control pills for a reason other than contraception, please reconsider.
Whether you are trying to clear up your skin or ease disruptive and painful PMS, keep in mind that birth control pills are merely addressing the symptoms and are not solving the problem. Your body is actually trying to tell you something. Acne may indicate that your colon, lymph and liver need cleansing because they are toxic, that your hormones are out of balance, that your life is too stressful, that your thyroid and adrenals are fatigued. Acne is also a common symptom of a yeast infection or candidiasis.
Birth control pills may improve your symptoms for a short time, but your body and its overall health is at risk when you consider the long run.
The Body Ecology Way of Life offers many healthy tools that can help address symptoms like PMS and acne that have American women downing those birth control pills. We can even help you rebalance your body if you have already been taking them.
Instead of using birth control as a therapy, our gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free nutrient-rich high-fiber, alkaline, plant-based diet with its delicious probiotic foods and liquids can give you the results you want without the serious side effects.
Fermented Dong Quai is made from a Chinese herb that is known for balancing hormones, easing hot flashes and diminishing menstrual pain. Because it is fermented, it also populates your gut with powerful probiotics that protect you from infection, improve the appearance of your skin, and help your body absorb nutrients. Try Fermented Dong Quai today to ease your PMS!
Fermented Dong Quai is an exclusive blood building tonic that also features key strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast to populate your intestines and boost your immunity.
Dong quai is an herb used for centuries in ancient Chinese remedies to address the special needs of women. Dong quai can help with infertility, hot flashes and menstrual pain. It also promotes the proper balance of hormones and a regular menstrual cycle.
While dong quai is prized for women’s health, it has been used historically for men and women to cleanse the blood, fight signs of infection and encourage digestion.
Since fermented foods and drinks have so many benefits for healing infections and boosting immunity, we realized that fermenting dong quai could be a major step forward in natural health and hormone balance for women.
NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND THE WORLD
Fermented Dong Quai is just one way that you can positively impact your health and regulate your hormones. But as you make wiser choices for your own wellness, you also affect the world around you.
Researchers have discovered that much of our water supply is contaminated by synthetic hormones attributed to birth control pills. They have found that the high levels of estrogen in lakes and rivers damages the fish and other wildlife, sometimes causing them to be sterile and severely decreasing their populations.
As you can see, unnatural choices have unnatural consequences, both for you and the environment.
Your choice of contraception is most certainly a personal one. And in a world full of modern medical technology, we have been taught that taking a pill is the answer to any health problem. However, the human body is still connected to Mother Earth in a way that science does not fully recognize.
As women, we may often feel our connection to Mother Earth because of our menstrual cycles.
In fact, Dr. Michael Smolensky’s research on circadian rhythms (biological cycle lasting 24-hours) and the sleep/wake pattern found that:
“Our words, ‘menstruation,’ ‘moon,’ and ‘month,’ all come from the Greek word for ‘measure of time.’ A woman’s menstrual cycle runs its course in about twenty-eight days, one lunar cycle. Periods usually start spontaneously in the week of the full moon in women not using birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, particularly those with ample exposure to natural daylight and dark cues.
–Dr. Michael Smolensky, author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health
Dr. Smolensky’s research showed that the more we use bright lights at night, the less regular our periods.
So our bodies were created to follow the natural flow of light and darkness. Modern life, however, often brings late nights in bright lights or in front of computers that disrupt the body’s natural light cues, throwing us off. You might find that dimming the lights in your home right after dinner (a tip I give to help heal adrenal fatigue and help you sleep) also helps regulate your periods!
So as you are making wiser choices about what method of birth control is right for you, consider your long term health and the health of our planet. Becoming healthy in mind, body and spirit often means getting back to basics and closer to Mother Nature.
This can be a challenging process when modern technology is everywhere, but your good health and longevity just may be worth taking a different path!
