Your Liver Needs Some Love After Birth Control
Like I said in my previous post, NO, you do not need to “detox from the pill.” However, your liver does play a vital role in hormone health and resilience, and it does need support after the pill. In this article I am specifically talking about coming off of the combination birth control pill, ie. ones containing both estrogen and progesterone.
Your liver is responsible for packaging up estrogen you don’t need and prepping it to be eliminated, and this is true both for the estrogen you make, and synthetic estrogen from the pill. In a natural menstrual cycle, your estrogen rises and falls throughout the month, but on birth control pills that contain estrogen, it stays high all month. The pill can also cause levels to rise for something called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), which binds to excess hormones in the body. This is protective when you’re taking synthetic hormones, but there is also evidence that these levels stay higher after taking the pill, and may never return to before-pill levels. Since SHBG also binds to testosterone, it has been linked to lower testosterone levels which can cause things like depleted libido, weight gain, mood changes, etc.
So knowing that we don’t need to “detox” in the an extreme type of way, what can you do with real food and simple lifestyle shifts to give your liver the love it needs post-pill?
Eat cruciferous veggies
Eating of variety of colorful vegetables and fruits is great for your for many reasons, but cruciferous veggies in particular (think broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc) help you break down estrogen to be eliminated. This is why you’ll see some people recommend a supplement like DIM after the pill, which is derived from cruciferous veggies.
For some people with digestive issues, especially those with SIBO, eating lots of cruciferous veggies may actually exacerbate digestive symptoms until the root causes are addressed. And those with thyroid concerns may want to ensure their cruciferous veggies are cooked to limit intake of goitrogens. This is why it’s so important to work with a provider and establish what you need! While lots of raw kale salads could be great for one person post-pill, it could make things worse for another.
Incorporate liver supporting foods
Beets and beetroot juice are my #1 liver-loving foods. Other things on top of this list are foods rich on omega-3 fatty acids, lean proteins, dandelion-root tea, and of course, lots of water.
One of my favorite liver supporting snacks consists of grated beets, lemon juice, flax seed oil, and a little sea salt. It’s delicious on it’s own, or can make a great salad topping!
Restore digestive health and regular elimination
There are links between the pill and digestive issues (my next blog post will be all about this), and since digestion and elimination are such essential parts of supporting our body’s ability to detoxify, this is a key area of focus in the post-pill period. Digestion is also such an individual thing. What works for one person may not work for another. If you’ve been struggling for awhile, please work with someone 1-on-1 to get to the root of the problem and to support your pathways of elimination.
Restore nutrients depleted by the pill
I have a whole blog post about the nutrients depleted by the pill. Some of these nutrients, like magnesium and b-vitamins, are essential to the process of breaking down and eliminating estrogen, so ensuring adequate intake of these nutrients is very important after the pill.
Evaluate your intake of things like alcohol, added sugar, and hydrogenated oils
Not to ruin the fun, but these things don’t fall into the category of “liver-loving” foods. Evaluate your current relationship with these things, and see if there is any room for improvement that doesn’t feel restrictive. I work very hard with my clients to find the balance between eating in a way that nourishes and restores, and also doesn’t create feelings of restriction. No food is “good” or “bad,” and everything can and should be individualized to fit your lifestyle.
Work with a provider to individualize a plan, including supplementation
Many people need a little more individualized guidance so they don’t feel like they’re wasting their time, or loosing their minds trying to break through all the information overload that can happen when you research post-pill health. For some, deeper support through supplementation can be helpful.
I don’t like giving out general supplement suggestions online because I think it encourages overspending on things that might not work for you, and can be dangerous depending on the person! That’s why I’m not going to list a bunch of liver-supporting supplements in today’s post. In my opinion, always let a trusted provider guide your supplement decisions related to supplementation.
