Does Birth Control Cause Weight Gain?
Can hormonal birth control cause weight gain or impair metabolic health? If so, which types are more likely to do so?
The first thing to understand is that the ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone tend to promote subcutaneous fat but reduce visceral fat, which is good because visceral fat is the bad fat tied to insulin resistance or metabolic dysfunction. The second thing is that hormonal birth control mostly switches off estradiol and progesterone.
The 7 Best Natural Anti-Androgen Supplements for Women
Natural anti-androgen supplements reduce testosterone or block its effects. In women, androgen blockers can improve androgen or testosterone symptoms, such as hirsutism, acne, and weight gain. In other words, they can treat PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and other types of androgen excess.
How Too Much Testosterone Can Cause Weight Gain in Women
In women, too much testosterone can cause insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain.
That’s why androgen excess is the main driver of weight gain with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause, and some types of birth control.
High Histamine Can Make for a Tougher Perimenopause
A tendency to allergies or high histamine can increase the risk of perimenopausal symptoms such as night sweats, anxiety, pain, sleep disturbance, migraines, and heavy periods. That’s because histamine increases with estrogen, and estrogen is higher than normal during the early years of perimenopause.
Pill Bleeds Are Not Periods
The pill is commonly prescribed to “regulate periods,” but it can’t actually do that because withdrawal bleeds from contraceptive drugs are not real menstrual cycles.
In episode one of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss real periods versus pill bleeds and why there’s no medical reason to bleed monthly on the pill.
I also look at the difference between contraceptive drugs and real hormones.
What Estrogen Does in Your 40s (and How Progesterone Can Help)
Night sweats, mood swings, and crazy heavy periods. Is this menopause already? And you’re only 42? No, menopause could still be a decade away. This is perimenopause or second puberty, which is the decade or so before your final period.
Perimenopause is different from menopause (or post-menopause), which is the life phase that begins one year after your final period.