Ron Garner
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 The main causes of yeast overgrowth are improper diet, antibiotics, steroid drugs, birth control pills, and stress; all of these can weaken the immune system and cause a depletion of healthy bowel flora.
When healthy bowel flora are depleted, yeast in the form of Candida albicans can multiply and invade other tissues. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but they do not discriminate between helpful and unfriendly bacteria. Acidophilus cultures in the colon, which are one of the main defenses against yeast overgrowths, are destroyed, thereby allowing yeast to proliferate. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 Then, in 1960, the FDA approved it as a birth control pill, and just three years later more than 1 million women were using it.
Today about 35 million women use some type of contraception, about 17 million of whom take one of the several kinds of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) currently available, and new types are regularly introduced. For example, in May 2007 the FDA approved the first pill, called Lybrel, that if taken daily halts women's menstrual periods indefinitely and prevents pregnancies. |
Ron Garner
See book keywords and concepts |
| Fitzpatrick estimated that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day. By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens have been detected in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk, even when the mother consumes soy products.16
Fitzpatrick's research confirmed problems Richard and Valerie James were encountering with their own two children, and which other parents were recounting to them about children fed soy-based formula. |
| Acidophilus cultures in the colon, which are one of the main defenses against yeast overgrowths, are destroyed, thereby allowing yeast to proliferate. birth control pills, because they contain steroid hormones and upset the normal hormonal balance of the body, can encourage yeast growth. Excessive and continued stress over-stimulates the adrenal glands, causing them to release steroid hormones, which can depress the immune system. |
J. Douglas Bremner
See book keywords and concepts |
| Alternatives to the Pill
For an alternative form of birth control, consider the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs), which are 99% effective and safe. There is a rare risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in the first twenty-six days. One objection to these devices is that an embryo might be fertilized and implant itself for a day in the uterine wall before the IUD rejects it. However, the overwhelming majority of fertilized eggs do not implant themselves in the uterine wall of women with an IUD. We don't know if any fertilized embryos can implant themselves in women with IUDs. |
Ron Garner
See book keywords and concepts |
| Estrogen dominance can arise as a result of many factors, including the intake of estrogen-like chemicals via our foods and environment, hormone replacement therapy, drugs such as birth control pills, improper diets, and prolonged stress. Associated health problems that can develop are: weight gain (mostly around the waist), decreased libido, anxiety, depression, lack of mental clarity, and lack of energy. Women can experience difficult menstrual periods, painful breasts, and cyclical mood swings. |
| Have you ever taken birth control pills?
6 Have you ever taken cortisone, prednisone or any other steroid drug?
7 Have you any digestive troubles such as constipation/diarrhea, bloating, heartburn or indigestion?
8 Have you any PMS symptoms?
9 Has your sex drive decreased?
10 Have you had, or do you now have recurring bladder/kidney, vaginal or prostate infections? n Are you sensitive to perfumes, smoke or chemical odors?
12 Are you troubled with skin problems, such as rashes or hives, for example?
13 Do you have any joint or muscular aches? |
Paula Begoun
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 Regrettably, there are few scientific studies on female pattern baldness, and even fewer when it comes to the effect of birth control pills on this condition. The small amount of research that does exist shows that some birth control pills have more testosterone-like activity, which can possibly promote hair loss by increasing the likelihood of testosterone being converted to DHT. That would cause a number of hair follicles to lapse into the telogen phase (shedding) and then not begin the anagen phase (growth) again. |
Bill Sardi
See book keywords and concepts |
 Moreover, the FDA won't even mandate the inclusion of folic acid into birth control pills that deplete the body of folic acid and induce abnormal Pap smears.
Read how the cancer industry has overlooked vitamin D, purportedly because it causes over-calcification and that it is toxic in high doses, when it is perfectly safe in doses 1,000 times greater than the Recommended Daily Allowance. Instead, the American Cancer Society advocates the use of sunscreen lotions that have increased rates of malignant melanoma. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 They're also frequently low in women taking birth control pills or the hormone replacement drug Premarin. Imagine how many depressed people could be helped just by adding B6 to their diet or supplement regimen—it would help to raise serotonin levels, thus acting as a kind of "natural Prozac."
In this country we're spending upward of $12 billion a year (2004) on antidepressant drugs, and the current thought is that 2 5 percent of people are misdiagnosed or overdiag-nosed as depressed. Imagine what could be done with a little vitamin like B6. |
| Selenium acts as a birth control pill to the virus," Berkson told me.
The herb milk thistle (silymarin) is a premier liver nutrient. The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which is believed to be responsible for its medicinal qualities. Milk thistle has been used in Europe as a treatment for liver disease since the sixteenth century.
The Supporting Cast of Liver-Friendly Nutrients
There are a number of other really important nutrients you should consider as part of a liver health/hep-C-fighting program.
N-A-C (N-acetyl-cysteine). |
| For women who don't want to become pregnant, docs will sometimes use birth control pills to help regulate menstrual cycles, clear up acne, and reduce levels of male hormones, but the Pill does not cure PCOS.
Metformin, a drug known by its trade name of Glucophage, is often given to people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome because it helps the body utilize insulin more effectively Research published in the British Medical Journal and elsewhere shows that metformin is effective in helping women with PCOS achieve ovulation, and it reduces insulin concentrations and blood pressure as well. |
Stacy Malkan
See book keywords and concepts |
 Many of her friends are taking birth control pills to clear up their skin or using harsh acne medications such as Acutane and Proactive. "What they don't know is the whole other side; they don't know how toxic these products are," Jessica says. She is bothered that doctors are prescribing the Pill "left right and sideways" as acne medication, even to girls as young as 12. She thinks there are healthier ways to deal with acne, such as diet improvements and natural skin remedies.
Three younger girls walk by. |
Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN
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 The idea was to find a safe and effective alternative to the high-dose birth control pills of that era. Researchers visited dozens of native cultures to discover which herbs and plants were being used to prevent pregnancy, examined hundreds of plants and analyzed their phytochemicals. Although they found many contraceptive plants—soy, flax and red clover among them—they ultimately abandoned the project. Not because "natural" methods didn't work, but because the side effects were similar to—and just as serious—as those of the birth control pill.
SOURCE: Farnsworth NR, Bingel AS et al. |
Greg Critser
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 The trial involved a relatively new Parke-Davis drug, Loestrin, a low-estrogen birth control pill. Using the new IMS-Medco data, Vanderveer answered a number of questions about how to market the drug effectively: Which physicians were already high pre-scribers of birth control pills? Who, among them, was already overly committed to competitors like Ortho? Knowing that would tell Parke-Davis not to waste marketing dollars on that physician. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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 Synthetic hormone repla cement drugs such as Premarin, Prempro, Femhrt, Menest, Ortho-Est, Activella, and many other brand names, as well as birth control pills, contribute to the development or worsening of estrogen dominance.
Many doctors routinely continue to prescribe synthetic hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and moodiness. These prescription drugs are composed of synthetic estrogen or a synthetic estrogen and progestin combination. |
| Depending on dosage, they can be very potent and linger in the body for a long time. birth control pills work by keeping estrogen at such a falsely high level that the body is fooled into responding as if it were pregnant. Therefore, ovulation does not occur. Chapter 3 addresses the dangers of synthetic hormones in greater detail. why the symptoms are often misdiagnosed
When Sylvia in Chapter 1 first complained of the "love-handle blues," her previous doctor responded by giving her a prescription for antidepressants. |
| If your personal choice is to use birth control pills for contraception, use for the shortest term possible.
APPENDIX C
Resources
Please note: The contact information listed in this section is current as of the publication of this book.
Hormone Health
The Natural Hormone Institute of America
When Genie James and I cofounded The Natural Hormone Institute of America in 2003, we had two goals in mind. The first was to create a vehicle to educate both the medical community and healthcare consumers about the safety and efficacy of bio-identical hormone therapies. |
| It is also found in the synthetic estrogen and progesterone (chemically termed progestin) of birth control pills and hormone therapies; these synthetic hormones are secreted in women's urine, are flushed down the toilet, and eventually make their way back into the food chain. Over time, these foreign estrogens can dangerously accumulate and increase the estrogen load in the body.
People living in the United States and in western Europe have been found to have much higher estrogen levels at much younger ages than people living in less industrialized countries. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
 This would be the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. For this reason, premature development of girls (early puberty) has been linked to the use of soy formula, as has the underdevelopment of males. Infant soy formula and soy milk have been linked to autoimmune-thyroid disease, and now also to death.
In 2007, two parents were convicted of murder and given life sentences in prison for starving their 6-week-old baby to death by feeding it with soy milk and apple juice. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
See book keywords and concepts |
 Many believe that mangoes are both an aphrodisiac and an effective means of birth control.
Throw Me a Lifesaver!
HEART HEALTH: Fruits and vegetables high in potassium and antioxidants such as vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin C, and flavonoids may help prevent or control hypertension and reduce the subsequent risk of stroke and heart disease. In addition, foods high in soluble fiber and pectin appear to lower the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood.
DIGESTION: Mangoes are a good source of fiber and contain enzymes that aid in digestion. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
See book keywords and concepts |
 Women on hormone replacement therapy or those taking birth control pills are at increased risk of developing these deadly clots, as are pregnant women. People with clotting disorders or certain medical conditions that restrict mobility, such as heart failure or chronic respiratory disease, are at risk as well.
WARNING SIGN
DVT without an obvious precipitating cause may be one of the very earliest clues to cancer. In fact, the link between DVT and cancer was first noted by the 19th-century physician Armand Trousseau. |
Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
See book keywords and concepts |
| Group's
Liver, Gallbladder, Parasite and
Heavy Metal Cleanse
Elimination Route
Ideas for Opening Up the Elimination Route
Menses
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid birth control pills because they automatically block the elimination of toxins through menses
• Massage lower pelvic area during menses
Are you getting excited about cleansing your colon and opening up those elimination routes yet? You should be. The time has come for you to take charge of your health and your life! There's more to intestinal health than the occasional cleanse however. |
Bill Sardi
See book keywords and concepts |
| International J Epidemiology 24: 665-70, 1995
RISKS FOR BREAST CANCER
REGULATION OF IRON
Menopause; advanced age
Loss of menstruation and blood loss of iron
Alcohol
Increases dietary absorption of iron
Plant food diets
Iron more difficult to absorb from plants
Red meat consumption
Contains highly absorbable form of iron
Estrogen administration (estrogen pills, birth control pills) increases iron accumulation. |
| Millions of Americans who have greater need for vitamin C (growing children, pregnant females, smokers, diabetics, the elderly, and those who take vitamin C-deplet-ing medications such as aspirin, steroids, birth control pills and estrogen) are all likely to be in a state of semi-scurvy and falsely believe their diet or low-dose vitamin pills provide sufficient amounts of vitamin C. This is due to the misinformation distributed by the National Institutes of Health.
New research
Recent studies conducted 28 years after Drs. |
| AWHONN Lifelines 8: 12-13, 2004] Why there is no mandate to place folic acid in birth control pills goes unexplained.
Folic acid and viral-induced cancer
There is a relatively new discovery involving folic acid and cancer. It involves a relationship between Epstein-Barr virus, cancer and folic acid.
Epstein-Barr is a herpes family virus that is responsible for mononucleosis. Epstein-Barr is also associated with the development of several malignancies, namely nasal/pharynge-al cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma and some cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as some of the AIDS-related lymphomas. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
See book keywords and concepts |
| Many women experience hair loss a few months after they stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Interestingly, hair loss slows and hair growth accelerates during pregnancy. The result: a fuller- and thicker-looking head of hair. Unfortunately, this windfall doesn't last; three to four months after a woman gives birth, the extra hairs shed rapidly. The good news is that hair growth will return to normal and the new moms will once again have full heads of hair, probably by the time their babies do. |
| With or without these other signs, hirsutism can be an unfortunate reaction to hormone-containing drugs, such as birth control pills, steroids, fertility drugs, and testosterone. And not surprisingly, excess hair growth can be a side effect of minoxidil
M..........la In 15th-century England, women shaved their pubic hair to keep lice at bay. They covered up the bare spots with merkins— pubic wigs. Merkins were also popular among prostitutes for another reason: they covered up the telltale signs of syphilis and other venereal diseases. |
| Galactorrhea can be a reaction to both prescription and illicit drugs, including birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihypertensives, marijuana, opiates, and steroids. A milky discharge can also be a sign you've been eating a lot of phytoestrogen-containing herbs, such as nettle, fennel, blessed thistle, anise, and fenugreek seed. The estrogen in these herbs can cause milk to flow. Leaking milk can also signal several hormone-related conditions, including a pituitary tumor (prolactinoma) and hypothyroidism. (See Appendix I. |
| Usually benign, they can pop up during puberty, pregnancy, or when on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Being overweight is another risk factor, as is wearing hosiery that cuts off the circulation.
Large Leg Veins
While spider veins are small, red, or purplish, varicose veins are large, your feet too long. As with spider veins, they can also be a telltale sign that you're wearing socks or stockings that are too tight. It's not unusual for a person to have both spider veins and varicose veins. |
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