I recently came across the book "The Pill Problem: How to Protect Your Health from the Side Effects of Oral Contraception" by pharmacist Ross Pelton. New studies shown in this book say that many women taking oral contraceptives for decades have struggled with "the Birth Control Blues".
What are the "Birth Control Blues"? This phrase confirms reports that oral contraceptives double the risk of women developing depression which in turn leads them to be unnecessarily dependent of antidepressant medications.
"The Pill Problem" states that 80% of women born since 1945 have taken oral contraceptives at some point in their life which has caused many depletions of necessary vitamins, minerals, amino acids, neurotransmitters, and antioxidants. This has dramatically increased a women's risk for side effects such as depression, sleep disorders, hormone imbalances, and anemia among many other conditions.
This book also reviews numerous studies showing women taking oral contraceptives have drastically lower levels of vital nutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and coenzyme Q10, a critical antioxidant.
Pelton's book breaks down each chapter by the most common side effects of the pill and shows underlying nutrient depletions and how to prevent or correct them.
All of this information got me thinking, has this been happening to me in the 8 years I've been taking birth control pills? I try my best to be as healthy as possible, eating right, exercising, and taking multi-vitamins but is it enough?
Has anyone had experience first hand with this?