By: Annie Morgan
It’s estimated nearly 13 percent of women are currently on birth control.
Some women use it to avoid pregnancy while others use it to regulate their hormones – but a shocking new study shows yet another effect of being on the pill.
As it turns out, not only can birth control pills disrupt the body’s natural hormonal balance, but it can even impact the brain, and the way might surprise you.
Smaller Brains?
A tiny area of the brain called the hypothalamus controls the nervous and hormonal system.
In the past, not much research was done to see if birth control pills affect this area of the brain.
But with more women on the pill, researchers decided to see if there was any impact on the brain – and the results were shocking.
Medical News Today reported:
“For the study, the researchers recruited 50 women in good health, 21 of whom were taking birth control pills.
The team carried out MRI scans, which use radiology to generate images of organs, to look at the brain of each of the 50 women. They then used a validated methodology to gauge the hypothalamic volume
“We validated methods for assessing the volume of the hypothalamus and confirm, for the first time, that current oral contraceptive pill usage is associated with smaller hypothalamic volume,” says Lipton.
The researchers found that the women taking birth control pills had a significantly lower hypothalamus volume than those who were not using oral contraceptives.”
More studies are needed to expand further on what this means, but researchers believe it relates to a women’s mood regulation, which is influenced by hormones.
More Bad News
Since birth controls are synthetic, they disrupt the body in other ways.
And since they cause the hormones to fluctuate, many women report increased headaches and mood swings while on the pill.
From bursts of tears to up and down feelings – birth control pills can affect a women’s mood.
In fact, some women on the pill even find themselves in deep depression with suicidal thoughts.
Since every person is different, the reactions vary, but the risks must not be dismissed.
Do Your Research
Despite the troubling studies, many doctors still push the pill on patients.
And since many women don’t research the effects of birth control pills, they trust their doctor, not knowing the unintended consequences.
If you are considering taking birth control pills to regulate your hormones and periods – please make sure you take the time to research what you are putting in your body.
There are different kinds of pills, which all have different side effects.
And make sure to ask your doctor the tough questions!
These days in the medical world, we all have to be our own advocates.
Were you surprised to learn the results of the study – that women on the pill had a significantly smaller hypothalamus volume?
Do you agree birth control pills can have unintended consequences?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to share this article with your friends and family to let them know how birth control pills could make the brain smaller!
