In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, I’m welcoming Dr. Jolene Brighten back to the show. She’s a functional naturopathic medical doctor and nutritional biochemist with a focus on women’s endocrine health. Dr. Brighten is recognized as a leading expert in post-birth control syndrome and the long-term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives.
Her new book: “Beyond The Pill: A 30-Day Plan to Support Women on Birth Control, Help Them Transition Off, and Eliminate Symptoms of Post-Birth Control Syndrome” addresses the health risks of oral contraceptives and their connection to significant hormone dysfunction.
She and I talked on episode #415 about how women’s hormones affect all parts of their bodies and brains at different ages and stages of their lives, particularly after childbirth. In this conversation, we’re going in a different direction. We cover what happens to women’s body systems while they’re on hormonal birth control and then when they stop using it. There’s also research about what the pill depletes from women’s bodies. Essential supplementation is needed while taking birth control and also when stopping.
“There’s a lot more going on with women’s hormonal health that lends itself to this idea of, how crazy are we to give a medication, and to shut down a woman’s reproductive system, and act like that’s not going to have any long-term impacts, or any impact on her body as a whole?” Dr. Brighten says in our interview.
This is a must-listen episode for both women AND men. We get into alternative birth control methods—and how well they work. And why sex tends to get better when women go off hormonal birth control. The more we’re discovering about women’s hormones, the more important it is for us to understand how hormonal health is an integral part of women’s experience—both personally and within their relationships.
Enjoy the show!
Follow Along with the Transcript
Way Better Sex Without the Pill – Dr. Jolene Brighten – #617
Links/Resources
Website: drbrighten.com
Facebook: facebook.com/drbrighten
Twitter: @drbrighten
Instagram: @drjolenebrighten/
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCZ4TEofVU5qOudhDW8QUfcQ/featured
Pinterest: pinterest.com/drbrighten/
Book: Beyond the Pill: A 30-Day Program to Balance Your Hormones, Reclaim Your Body, and Reverse the Dangerous Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill
Book Bonuses: beyondthepillbook.com
Free E-Book: Brighten’s Post-Birth Control Syndrome Detox Diet Quick Start Guide drbrighten.com/pbcsdiet/
Bulletproof Radio: On Women’s Health, Post-Birth Control Syndrome, and Brain Injuries – Dr. Jolene Brighten – #415
Bulletproof Blog:
- Cycle Syncing: How to Hack Your Menstrual Cycle to Do Everything Better asprey.wpengine.com/cycle-syncing/
- Ditching Hormonal Contraceptives? 11 Non-Hormonal Birth Control Options asprey.wpengine.com/non-hormonal-birth-control/
Key Notes
- Exotic dancers make less money when they are on the pill 00:03:20
- “How crazy are we to shut down a reproductive system?“ 00:08:35
- The pill depletes coQ10 and other vitamins/minerals 00:22:35
- “Doctors are more careful with sugar than with birth control” 00:26:10
- “What is acne today may be hair loss in a few years” 00:35:00
- Depression and the pill 00:50:50
- Bigger Ideas:
- How do men know if women are ovulating 00:04:45
- What to do instead of using the pill 00:10:20
- The benefits and warnings for copper IUD 00:13:00
- The pull-out method is more effective than you think 00:17:00
- The difference between progesterone and progestin 00:20:00
- The supplements to take when you are on the pill 00:28:30
- What happens when you go off the pill? 00:41:30
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