Oral contraceptives are currently a very important contraceptive method. The number of women taking contraceptive pills is very large. So, what should women taking contraceptive pills pay attention to in terms of nutrition?
Currently, research shows that oral contraceptives affect the metabolism of vitamin B6. Women taking combined oral contraceptives have lower levels of vitamin B6 in their blood, which can easily lead to deficiency. This is mainly because the estrogen in the contraceptive pills can increase the activity of liver tryptophan oxidase, enhancing tryptophan metabolism, and vitamin B6 is a co-factor in this process. In addition, estrogen can also increase the activity of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, both of which require vitamin B6 as a coenzyme, thus leading to an increased consumption of vitamin B6. Since vitamin B6 is related to tryptophan metabolism, and the latter is related to brain function, the deficiency of vitamin B6 is also one of the important reasons for depression in women taking contraceptive pills.
Women taking contraceptive pills should pay attention to preventing vitamin B6 deficiency by consuming more foods rich in vitamin B6, such as cereals, vegetables, and meat, eggs, and dairy products. If necessary, take a small daily oral supplement of vitamin B6 tablets.
Taking contraceptive pills also affects vitamin B12, causing its concentration in the blood to decrease. Vitamin B12 is a substance essential for the blood production process. Its deficiency can affect hematopoietic function. A study of 1100 women taking contraceptives and 1600 women not taking them found that the hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell counts of the users were all lower than those of the non-users, and the difference was more pronounced in women who had taken them for a longer time.
Good sources of vitamin B12 include: animal offal, shellfish, milk powder, fish, crab, and egg yolk. Women taking contraceptive pills should pay attention to consuming these foods.
The level of folic acid in the blood of women taking contraceptive pills is often reduced. This is mainly due to the inhibition of the folate-binding enzyme in the duodenal mucosa. This enzyme is necessary for the intestinal absorption of folic acid, and its inhibition reduces folic acid absorption. Folic acid plays an important role in the erythropoiesis of blood, and a small number of women taking contraceptive pills may occasionally develop anemia caused by folic acid deficiency.
There are many foods rich in folic acid, such as liver, meat and eggs, various green leafy vegetables, legumes, and fruits. Eating more of these foods can prevent folic acid deficiency.
Taking contraceptive pills can also lower the level of vitamin C in the blood. Some people have found that the incidence of thrombotic diseases increases when taking contraceptive pills. Therefore, women taking contraceptive pills should eat more fruits and vegetables, and if necessary, take a small oral supplement of vitamin C tablets to prevent deficiency.
When taking contraceptive pills, serum triglycerides and lipoproteins increase significantly. Some foreign studies have pointed out that women taking contraceptive pills show slight changes in the incidence of electrocardiogram abnormalities, myocardial infarction, and gallstones. However, externally ingested fat can still be metabolized normally, so it is not necessary to specifically pay attention to the amount of fat intake, but it is still advisable to eat less.