One Body

Ovulation is healthy and necessary for women. Having a full, natural menstrual cycle is a biomarker of health and a vital sign. Often associated with debilitating cramping, nights spent crying and lashing out at your loved ones for reasons you don’t know, and a week straight of aggravating bleeding, I understand why having a full cycle is not exactly sought after.  When you combine the promise of near erasing theses symptoms along with an almost guaranteed promise of pregnancy prevention, the Pill is lusted after. 

I am not a proponent of taking birth control away from anyone, it is a very important method of pregnancy prevention for many women who need it. What I am an advocate for, is increasing our knowledge on one important way the Pill is harming our health: stopping ovulation. 

When women are on a hormonal contraceptive, they do not cycle. Ethinyl estradiol and progestin fit into the same receptors as our natural estrogen and progesterone, so our body simply stops making it on our own. This is a concern because we are now missing out on the numerous health benefits theses hormones provide to us…it is a major net loss. Let’s take a look at what happens hormonally when we cycle naturally: 

• On day one of a cycle: we feel very depleted as all of our hormones are “bottomed out” 
• FSH slowly begins to rise, also stimulating estrogen’s peak just before ovulation
• Estrogen is at it’s highest before we ovulate. It then sees a sharp decline along with FSH
• We now begin to see a steady rise in progesterone along with LH
• When progesterone declines, our menstrual flow begins and we start the cycle over again!

Now…what happens on hormonal contraception? 

• A steady flow of synthetic estradiol and progestin. Really..that’s it

Why Should I Care About Ovulation? 

Hormonal birth control switches off our ovaries, puts them into retirement until we decide to stop taking the pill. What this halts most of all is our connection to our bodies. The health of your cycle each month reflects your emotional, mental, and physical environment that past ~30 days. This is why there is push to view it as a 5th vital sign. Your brain would not signal to the body to release eggs if it did not feel we could provide a safe, healthy environment to raise a baby . This is why many women under high levels of stress, excessive exercise, or suffering from an ED will experience Amenorrhea. 

Aside from this, there are critical health concerns that arise when we no longer have the protective effects of natural estrogen and progesterone flowing through our bodies at a delicate balance:

• As explained by Jennifer Block in her novel, Everything Below the Waist, Progesterone and estradiol collaborate on overall wellness. This perfect ratio maintains bone mass, clears arteries of plaque, and regulates blood insulin. Even the mitochondria of our cells (the famous powerhouse getting its moment of fame!) require estrogen to function properly
• Bone health is an immense red flag here. Progesterone increases the amount of osteoblast cells we have (the cells from which bone arises) whereas estrogen maintains that bone. Studies have found that synthetic progestin actually has the reverse effect-being associated with a 10-20% increase in fracture risk 
• Premenopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis are found to benefit from increasing Progesterone levels alongside therapy 
• PCOS risk: Inhibiting ovulation causes eggs that are ripening but not releasing to essentially gather and cause little cysts on the ovaries. This correlates with insulin resistance and a diagnosis of PCOS…for which the treatment is typically the pill! 
• Emotional and mental health is threatened without ovulation. One 2016 study out of Denmark with one million women found a significant correlation between hormonal contraception and treatment for depression….most frighteningly with an 80% increase in teenagers 

In order to understand the correlation between mental health and hormonal contraception, we need to look at one stellar hormone in particular: Progesterone. 

Why Progesterone is Our Friend:

The pregnancy glow with beaming skin and luscious hair can be credited to pregnant woman bathing in progesterone. Progesterone is incredibly important for reasons aside from cosmetic though!

• increases bone formation by stimulating osteoblast cells 
• Reduces inflammation 
• Supports immune response 
• Regulates control of hormone levels by mediating the HPA Axis 
• Neuro-protective factors in CNS and PNS aids in neuron survival throughout numerous neurodegenerative diseases 
• Assists in digestion and lowering levels of anxiety 
• Protects the uterine lining

How Can We Naturally Increase Progesterone? 

Going off hormonal contraception is ideal to increase levels of progesterone in our bodies and return to healthy hormonal balance. Although, this is not possible for everyone and whether you are on contraception or not, there are ways to naturally increase this amazing hormone in our bodies! 

• Decrease stress through meditation, light exercise as opposed to hiit, adaptogens, etc.
• Nourish yourself with healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, and salmon
• Snack on dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds for zinc and magnesium 
• Cruciferous vegetables and greens at dinner time
• Prioritize sleep and get sunlight upon waking 
• Vitex can be used under a doctor’s discretion to increase progesterone. Especially helpful when coming off of the pill

When making any form of decision around contraception, working with a naturopathic doctor can be very empowering. It is important to fully understand your choices. Being withheld knowledge about how contraception will impact our libido, mental health, weight, bone health, cancer risk, and more is not empowerment at all. What is best for everyone is different and dependent on many factors from your health to your values.