Chiropractor Says Birth Control Pills Can Deplete B6, Zinc and Other Nutrients
He named B6, B2, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and vitamin C.
HEALTH TALK AMERICA · Sugar, Antibiotics, and the Trillions of Bugs Running Your Immune SystemBob Martin, a chiropractic physician and board-certified clinical nutritionist, says birth control pills can lower vitamin B6, vitamin B2, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and vitamin C. He described this as what his office told women based on patient histories, and he gave no amounts and cited no study.
He was answering a listener question about how the pill affects women, after noting that most drugs carry possible adverse effects. The pill is highly successful at stopping birth, he said, but it also depletes those important nutrients.
He summed up his view this way: “When you put a drug in, you’re going to have an imbalance created somewhere else.”
Questions people ask
What did Martin mean by patient histories?
He said his office formed the view from the histories of women taking the pill whom staff saw in practice. That is different from a controlled study, which would measure nutrient levels in pill users and comparison groups under set conditions. So his account reflects what he says he observed and told patients.
What roles do these nutrients play in everyday health?
B6 and B2 help the body turn food into usable energy and support nerve function. Zinc, magnesium, and selenium support immune function, muscle and bone health, and thyroid function, among other roles. Vitamin C supports tissue repair and immune function, and acts as an antioxidant.