Hormonal Contraceptives Are Less Effective In Obese/Overweight Women

August 12, 2010

Hormonal Contraceptives are Less Effective in Obese/Overweight Women

Filed under: birth control pills, obesity, pregnancy — Tags: birth control pill, birth control study, hormonal contraceptives, hormonal implant, nuvaring, obesity, over weight, pregnancy, skin patch, vaginal ring — Amanda @ 4:35 pm

A systematic review of results reported online has concluded that hormonal contraceptives (such as skin patches, vaginal rings, implants, pills, and injections) may not be as effective in overweight and obese women.

With obesity rates increasing worldwide every year, it is important that these findings be shared with the public.

The results from seven studies on 39,531 women on the success of hormonal contraceptives were examined and the results were varied among the different methods of birth control. Some methods such as the birth control pill were less effective at preventing pregnancy in the obese and overweight women who used a hormonal contraceptive.

Body mass index, or BMI, played a large role in the effectiveness of the birth control pill. Women with a BMI higher than 25 (classified as overweight), were more likely to get pregnant while using the pill than women with a BMI under 25.

Body weight, on the other hand, was the factor among women using the skin patch, vaginal ring, implant, or injection. The body weight due to fat on the body determined the pregnancy risk among women using contraception. Overweight and obese women using the skin patch, progestin implant, and vaginal ring were more likely to get pregnant than women of normal weight using these forms of contraception. Curiously enough, the effectiveness of the hormonal injection was not affected by BMI or body weight. One possible reason for the decreased effectiveness of the skin patch is simply that there is a higher density of fat cells in areas where the patch is to be placed. The fat cells in the way of the blood stream can absorb and store the hormones preventing them from reaching the blood stream.

The exact reason why overweight and obese women are at a greater risk of pregnancy while using hormonal contraceptives is unknown. Although several theories imply that it has something to do with specific biological factors.

Liver Enzymes – overweight women can experience an increased regulation of liver metabolism. These higher levels of enzymes can help break down the hormones in oral contraceptives. Heavier women have a greater circulating blood volume and body mass therefore there is more tissue for blood to circulate though. The chance that enzymes will break down the hormones in contraception is faster therefore the levels of circulating hormones can be decreased.

Hormone Storage – Hormones like estrogen and progestin that are found in birth control are stored in body fat. The more fat cells on a woman, the greater her chances of the hormones becoming stored in her fat rather than flowing into her bloodstream.

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July 26, 2010

Diet Soda is linked to Premature Births

Filed under: diets, pregnancy — Tags: aspartame, blood pressure, diet soda, high blood pressure, pregnancy, premature birth — Amanda @ 8:22 pm

Artificially sweetened soft drinks have been linked to high blood pressure and an increased risk of premature birth. A recent study examined almost 60,000 women at around 25 weeks of pregnancy. The women reported on their daily diet – specifically how many soft drinks they drank every day.

The study was conducted by the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Lead Dr. Thorhallur I. Halldorsson said “It may be non-optimal for pregnant women to have a high consumption of these types of products”. Diet drinks sweetened with aspartame are considered to be good alternatives to their sugar-filled counterpart, but Halldorsson notes that there has been too little research on the safety of the consumption of artificial sweeteners. New studies have found a link between soft drinks and high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of premature birth.

After analyzing the results from the study of 60,000 pregnant women, it was found that 5% delivered their babies before 37 weeks. Women who had at least one serving of artificially sweetened soda a day while they were pregnant were 38% more likely to deliver their babies preterm than women who drank no diet soda at all.

The shocking find from the study was that women who had at least 4 diet sodas a day were 80% more likely to deliver preterm.

Only diet soda was linked to early delivery, not sugar sweetened soda. The findings propose that the artificial sweetener itself is the cause of the findings. However, researchers say that other possible causes for the link cannot be ruled out.

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June 21, 2010

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Multivitamins

Filed under: health-tips — Tags: arthritis, calcium, cancer, folic acid, high cholesterol, menopause, pregnancy, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin c, vitamin e, vitamins — Amanda @ 6:02 pm

The food quality on the market today is not like it used to be and the human body needs a specific amount of vitamins to function properly. Since we get most of our vitamins from the food we eat, sometimes a multivitamin is needed to compensate for the vitamin deficiency’s in our diets. If you aren’t convinced that multivitamins are a necessity, here are some other reasons why you should take them.

1. Our bodies need to use more nutrients than normal to detoxify and eliminate substances from environmental pollution in the air, water, and food. The antioxidants including vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E are likely to decrease at a more rapid rate due to this pollution.

2. The busy schedules of our lives are contributing to our lack of vitamins. Our wavering eating habits, lazy chewing, eating on the run, and stress are causing poor digestion. This makes it hard for our bodies to take in all of the nutrients from our food.

3. Certain health conditions can increase your need for vitamins. During pregnancy, a woman’s body requires more folic acid and during menopause, they are more susceptible to calcium deficiencies. In addition, the use of pharmaceutical drugs can increase the body’s vulnerability to vitamin deficiencies since most medications reduce essential nutrients in the body.

4. The food industry isn’t helping our vitamin deficiencies. Modern agricultural techniques are leaving the soil deficient of minerals causing the food grown there to share the same deficiencies. After the foods have been harvested, they are often stored for long periods of time and transported great distances. This depletes the food of important vitamins. The processing, preserving, and cooking involved with our food doesn’t help either. This also contributes to nutrient depletion and makes it difficult for us to be nutritiously satisfied from foods alone.

5. Vitamins and minerals will improve your overall health. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Beta Carotene, and Vitamin B6 have all been proven to help in the treatment of high cholesterol, arthritis, birth defects, and even cancer

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