How the Pill Can Affect the Brain

Birth control pills are often seen as a wonder solution for contraception, and they can even help treat acne, severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS), excessive hair growth, and pain from endometriosis. While we are not here to recommend one birth control method over another, like almost any other medication, they do come with negative side effects which those who take them should know everything about. Since these pills affect the body's hormonal balance, they have specific impacts on the brain. 

 

Birth control pills contain a synthetic version of progesterone called "progestin" and a synthetic version of estrogen called "ethinylestradiol." These synthetic hormones affect different brain areas, primarily those responsible for regulating reproductive system functions.

However, the disruption in the reproductive process also leads to changes in signals received by the limbic system and mood, potentially causing depression and anxiety. These pills can even impact cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. If you know someone who is taking the pill or are taking them yourself, this may be very important information for you to have. 

 

Do All Contraceptive Methods Have the Same Impact on the Brain?

"Different types of birth control pills have various side effects on the brain — some can be more severe and unique than others," says Dr. Hilda Wong from California. Pills that contain both progestin and ethinylestradiol, for example, tend to cause more mood changes than pills that contain only progestin. It's also worth mentioning other contraceptive methods, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs), which have much less impact due to their location in the body. The IUD releases progestin directly into the uterus, instead of passing through the digestive system and bloodstream.

What Do the Studies Say?  

A review of brain imaging studies conducted in 2020 identified changes in areas responsible for cognitive processes in the brain, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cingulate gyrus, due to the use of hormonal contraceptives. Additionally, a 2022 study compared the brain structure of 72 people and showed that hormonal contraceptives affect brain areas associated with emotional processing. Specifically, researchers found that participants taking birth control pills were more prone to anger, fear, and disgust than those who were not.

"While the study findings are fascinating, they do not show an absolute cause-and-effect relationship," says Dr. Michael Green, a specialist in treating menopausal women. After all, women taking birth control pills may be more involved in situations that increase experiences of such emotions. Older studies have shown a link between the use of birth control pills and the use of antidepressants and even suicide attempts. Although conducted on a small scale, these studies suggest that such contraceptives may negatively impact mood. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this, especially if you have pre-existing mental health issues.

What Should Be Considered Before Starting Birth Control Pills? 

When weighing the benefits of these pills against the risks they pose to women taking them, the main thing to consider is the reason why you want to start taking birth control pills. Is it for preventing pregnancies? Is it to help deal with premenstrual syndrome? Is it part of treatment for pain from endometriosis? Or perhaps a combination of these reasons? 

 

Dr. Wong says that the answer to this question will help you understand whether you should consider alternatives to birth control pills. For example, there are non-hormonal contraceptives, such as condoms. However, she advises thinking about whether you can stick to the chosen solution. For example, you need to take birth control pills at the same time every day—are you responsible enough to do this properly? There are also birth control shots that need to be taken every three months—can you maintain this?

Is there Anything to be done against the pill's effect on mood? 

If you or someone you know notice mood changes after starting birth control pills, talk to a doctor as soon as possible. It may also help to schedule an appointment with a mental health specialist. "It's important to inform your doctor about your condition and the neurological side effects you are experiencing, so they can determine whether the prescription you received is the best option for you," says Dr. Bassam Zaina from England. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the doctor may suggest an alternative and provide advice on lifestyle changes that can help balance this effect. 

 

A Few Words in Conclusion 

Studies show that taking birth control pills does indeed affect the brain and may also affect mood. While it's important to be aware of these side effects, it does not mean that all contraceptive methods have the same effect or that they affect every woman in the same way. If you or someone you know feel more anger, anxiety, or depression and are taking birth control pills, it is recommended to consult with your doctor and explore other options with fewer such side effects, and monitor your condition to see if the problem was indeed related to the pills or not. If not, it is advisable to seek help from a mental health specialist.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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7 Discoveries Showing How the Brain and Body are Linked

The brain is a part of our body, so of course, it's connected and influenced by our body, you may think. And while this basic assumption is definitely at the heart of the findings we will discuss here, the ways in which our brains are interconnected with the other organs and systems of our body can be quite unexpected, with things like hydration level and specific foods having a profound influence on our mind. But it isn't only our gut or cardiovascular system that can influence how well our brains work: our experiences and habits are just as important to our mental health and cognitive performance. These 7 neuroscientific discoveries illustrate how our brain, our body, and our experiences are all meaningfully interconnected and have a strong effect on our health and well-being.

1. Your Brain’s Health and Functioning is Dependent on Your Gut Health

 

The idea of the gut-brain connection has been around for a while, but the more scientists learn about the specific ways our guts influence our brains, the more we get to understand the holistic importance of a healthy diet. More specifically, we now know that a poor diet is a contributor to mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression, but it may also alter our cognitive abilities.

For example, a diet high in sugar was shown to impair our cognitive abilities in the short term, causing brain fog. The long-term effects of sugar are no less alarming, as there is evidence linking depression and a high-sugar diet. On a more positive note, a healthy diet was shown to have a beneficial effect on depression.

2. Mental Tasks and New Experiences can Boost one’s Brain Health

One of the most significant neuroscience discoveries of the past decade is the idea that our brain is malleable and new experiences, training, and learning can improve its functioning. In neuroscience, this notion is known under the term 'neuroplasticity', and, as you might expect, the

human brain is most pliable in childhood, but it continues being shaped by our experiences throughout our lives.

This is why reading, playing and listening to music, painting and many other types of mental training are all so beneficial for our cognitive health and help us maintain a sharp mind for longer. More interestingly, recent scientific research focusing on the ways we can use neuroplasticity to our advantage also showed that we can improve our memory by simply engaging in new enjoyable activities and trying new things.

3. Both Too Much and Not Enough Sleep Can Affect Your Cognition

 Sleep is one of the favorite topics in neuroscience, with numerous studies suggesting that both too much and not enough sleep can impair our memory, creativity and cognitive tasks, such as concentration and problem-solving. The largest-ever sleep study was conducted in 2017, with over 10.000 participants tested, and it concluded that the previous hypothesis was true and sleep does affect our decision-making and concentration even in the short term.

However, the same study concluded that memory performance is NOT affected by sleep, although admittedly they did not look at the long-term effects of sleep. Still, it’s best to get an average of 7-8 hours of sleep every day to stay in top shape.

4. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: the Effects of Exercise on Our Brain

Your brain needs exercise, we discussed that in the second point but turns out that regular old exercise, too, can boost your cognitive health and help retain a sharp mind in your senior years. One study even suggested that exercise helps delay dementia by 15 years!

Apart from being an excellent preventative measure of Alzheimer’s and dementia, however, exercise can help us boost our cognitive performance and thinking skills, too. As for the kind

human brain is most pliable in childhood, but it continues being shaped by our experiences throughout our lives.

This is why reading, playing and listening to music, painting and many other types of mental training are all so beneficial for our cognitive health and help us maintain a sharp mind for longer. More interestingly, recent scientific research focusing on the ways we can use neuroplasticity to our advantage also showed that we can improve our memory by simply engaging in new enjoyable activities and trying new things.

5. Chronic Stress Can Shrink Your Brain

 

You probably heard that a little stress is useful for our brain from time to time, and it may be true, but most of us don’t get just a little stressed, don’t we? And that’s exactly the problem. When we are stressed out day after day, our prefrontal cortex, the steering wheel of our brain, gets affected, making us less alert and worse at performing cognitive tasks, all because of cortisol, the infamous stress hormone.

Another brain area affected by stress is the hippocampus, which helps us learn and remember things. Ultimately, chronic stress can even cause mood swings, irritability, mental illness (e.g. anxiety, depression, addiction) and was even found to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. In extreme cases, constant stress was even shown to be able to shrink the brain volume, particularly the cortex. 

6. Mindfulness May Help Keep Your Brain Younger for Longer

Mindfulness training is a hot topic both in psychology and neuroscience nowadays, but it’s not a new invention, as both yoga and meditation rely heavily on the idea of self-awareness and mindfulness. There’s a massive amount of research showing that mindfulness can make you more resistant to pain, help you deal with mental illness and even prevent cortical degeneration caused by dementia and aging.

So if there’s one thing you should start doing, that’s some sort of mindfulness practice, be it yoga, meditation, or mindful breathing.

7. Your Water Intake Affects your Brain

A dehydrated brain is a sluggish brain, one that can make it difficult for you to focus, maintain attention, and engage in problem-solving tasks. A 2018 study found that losing as little as 2% of body weight for adults can instantly affect all these mental faculties. Keep in mind that losing that much water is not uncommon, especially in the summer weather.

Also, kids and seniors are at a higher risk of suffering from dehydration. The conclusion is simple: always keep a full water bottle on hand, especially if you’re spending time in the sun, but don’t overindulge either. Why? This is because drinking too much water is as dangerous as dehydration, as it can dilute your blood and, in severe cases, can make your brain swell, which can be lethal.

How much water should you drink, then? Doctors generally recommend drinking around half a gallon (2 liters) of water a day for an average adult, which is about 8 glasses of water, but this may differ depending on your weight and diet. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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