Oral Contraceptives can impact your gut microbiota and not in a good way.Oral contraceptives can effect more than pregnancy, they also have effects on your gut microbiota in multiple ways. With about 16% of the affected population using oral contraceptives, it is important to understand how they affect overall health. The scientific community has conducted numerous studies about the use of the pill and its effect on inflammatory bowel diseases including Crohn's disease. There is a commonality between all of these studies and that is the conclusion that there is a link between oral contraceptive use and the gut.
Oral contraceptives typically contain estrogen, which can have an impact on the way materials travel through your gut wall and into the rest of the body. They can increase the risk of IBD and also affect the development of autoimmune diseases.
"In a 2016 paper, Dr. Hamed Khalili, a gastroenterologist, reviewed evidence from numerous studies about IBS and hormonal birth control pills and found a link between the gut microbiome, oral contraceptives, and the body's immunity levels. “This supports the intriguing hypothesis that the gut microbiome lies at the crossroads of pathways linking exogenous hormone use with innate and adaptive immunity,” Khalili stated. Further, a 2016 study in which Dr. Khalili was the lead researcher and he found that if you already have Crohn’s disease, taking the pill can increase the need for surgery." (Ubiome)
Dr. Khalili has suggested that aside from smoking, the use of oral contraceptives is the most consistent environmental risk factor for Crohn's disease although he notes that sample sizes of studies are still to small to be completely conclusive. It is also important to note that risk is also effected by whether or not a woman smokes during use, age and length of time taken.
While there are strong data points that associate oral contraceptive use and IBD, there is not a high enough risk for doctors to warn patients at higher risk of Crohn's and other inflammatory bowel disease. There is enough evidence to support a need to keep the gut microbiome healthy while taking an oral contraceptive.
If you are taking oral contraception pills you absolutely must take a good quality probiotic daily.
We recommend Xymogen's ProbioMax DF or super ProbioMax 350 DF. You will metabolize your exogenous hormones better and protect your gut microbiome. Call us for a special passcode to order direct from Xymogen. 845 358-8385.
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How Oral Contraceptives Impact Your Gut Microbiota -. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ubiome.com/blog/post/oral-contraceptives-impact-gut-microbiota/
