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Birth Control Pills and Supplements, Part 1: B Vitamins

by Christine Gonzalez | August 24, 2009

If you are currently on birth control pills (the pill), you should consider taking a B-complex supplement. While it is best to get your B vitamins from a healthy and balanced diet, the reality is sometimes you may fall short. This is often the case for superwomen trying to balance a career and personal life in stressful times. You may also need to supplement other vitamins and minerals while on the pill, but I will cover these in future blogs. For today, the focus is on B vitamins-specifically B-6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, and riboflavin (B-2).

Most birth control pills are a combination of an estrogen and a progestin. The estrogens in the pill can affect the metabolism of B-6. A Tufts University study, published in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that contraceptive-using women of child-bearing age had lower plasma levels of B-6. There are a few ways that the estrogens in the pill can deplete folic acid. These include decreasing absorption, increasing metabolism, and increasing excretion (removal from the body). The pill can also decrease the body’s absorption of riboflavin or its conversion to the active forms used by the body.

The B vitamins are a group of vitamins and vitamin-like compounds that naturally occur together and work together. This is why you see them packaged together in B-complex supplements. If there is a deficiency in one of the B vitamins, then there is often a deficiency in the others. This is why it is best to supplement with a B-complex that contains the whole group of them for best coverage of a potential depletion and to keep the body’s balance of them in check. The B vitamins are involved in maintaining healthy nerves, eyes, hair and skin, sex glands, sebaceous glands and bone marrow. They are involved with appetite and digestion, hormone production, and prevent anemia.

Low B-6 levels may cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and irritability. Interestingly, these are also known side effects of the pill. Symptoms of folic acid deficiency include fatigues, weakness, headache, difficulty concentrating, palpitations, and diarrhea. A bigger concern with low folic acid is the risk of neural tube birth defects in the developing fetus when a woman gets off the pill and is trying to conceive. Some symptoms of riboflavin deficiency include sore throat, cracking around the lips, mouth sores, eye irritation, and skin dermatitis.

Keep in mind that part of the reason that research results are conflicting regarding B vitamin depletion from the pill is because there is a lot of variability from blood analyses. Some feel that this may not be the most accurate or sensitive measure of your nutritional status. It is also assumed that women taking the “pill” eat a healthy and balanced diet. But this may not always be true. As a reminder, here are some good sources of B vitamins:

B-6: Fish, poultry, meat, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brewer’s yeast.

Folic acid: Liver, dark green leafy and stem vegetables, dried beans.

Riboflavin: Milk, meat, poultry, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, organ meats, enriched grains and cereals.

After reviewing various studies and expert opinions, this is my conclusion on the need for a B-complex supplement while on the pill. I think a B-complex supplement is wise for women on the pill who eat a not-so healthy diet and take a high-dose pill (a product with more than 50 mcg of an estrogen). It is also good insurance for most other women on the pill, especially those who plan to conceive once off the pill. Please feel free to consult with a Village Green practitioner on which B-complex supplement is best for your needs. And stay tuned for Parts Two and Three on this topic…

Posted in Nutritional Supplements |
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Is Healthcare Reform Taking the Right Approach?

by Marc Isaacson | August 20, 2009

This is part 2 of a series of blog posts by Marc Isaacson, CEO/President of Village Green Apothecary, who is deeply concerned about including prevention and healthy living in our country’s plan for healthcare reform.

Clearly the healthcare system is broken. The big challenge is that the current system is designed around treating symptoms and patients with a “one size fits all” approach.”

The current plan may be part of the right approach, but it certainly is not the complete package and not sustainable long-term if this is the only approach.

The essence of the pending plan is built around competition and cost management. The thinking to-date is to have a public plan option that will be priced very competitively and provide competition to private insurance plans.

There will also be subsidies and tax credits to make healthcare more affordable across-the-board, with additional incentives for small businesses, as well as those in low-income brackets.

But is this plan sustainable long-term?

With the proposed plan, there appears to be the potential for initial cost savings of up to 15-20% in some segments, such as small business. We will also have significantly more uninsured individuals covered, which is needed.

However, in my opinion, the proposed plan is not taking into account the critical importance of the long-term view (20-30 years). Most importantly, it contains no components that provide a proactive healthy living/preventative approach.

As an integrative pharmacy, we at Village Green Apothecary certainly understand that there is certainly a need for pharmaceuticals at the right time and under the right circumstances. But we also take pride in offering newer, more innovative healthcare options like dietary supplements, herbal remedies, and individualized healthy living plans.

We strive to help people take a proactive approach so that they will stay healthy, using both traditional and alternative healthcare options. When health challenges occur, we work with people to find the root cause, not just deal with symptoms.

Unfortunately, this proactive, holistic approach seems to be missing from healthcare reform.

There’s a reason for this sad fact, and it’s based in the longstanding interdependency of the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

For a more in-depth discussion of this topic, read my article, The Missing Link in Healthcare Reform: Why Healthy Living and Prevention Aren’t Part of the Plan… But Need To Be.

In coming blog entries, we’ll explore the role money plays in healthcare. It’s a big role, of course, both at the macro and micro levels.

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Green Kitchen Appliances

by Beth Ritchie | August 17, 2009

How do you know when it “pays” to replace a kitchen appliance? Conventional wisdom says wait until it stops working, or until it needs a repair that costs more than the unit is worth.

Efficient performance is the new holy grail, as more smart consumers make choices based on real-life operating cost, as well as features. Recently-built appliances by reliable US companies now can pay for themselves in energy and water savings in as little as 5 years. If your current models are older than 10, they could be costing you between $125-$150 per year in operating costs (verifiable with home energy monitor kits). That’s like paying for a $100+ repair every other year! (more…)

Tags: energy efficient, energy saving, Energy Star dish washer, green appliance, refrigerator
Posted in Green Living |
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Healthy Living and Prevention: Where Are They in Healthcare Reform?

by Marc Isaacson | August 7, 2009

The numbers tell the story of our current national healthcare crisis…

Lifestyle-related healthcare spending accounts for approximately 70% of total costs. In other words, if our system invested in preventive measures like improved diet, exercise, and education, we could save a huge proportion of our healthcare cost – and also improve millions of lives by helping people avoid obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other common problems.

But right now, lifestyle and healthy living on an individualized approach are not part of the plan for healthcare reform. Why is that?

We could see billions in healthcare savings if the facts about nutrients like vitamin D3, omega 3’s, probiotics and CoQ10 were communicated on a national level – to the medical community as well as individual patients. Greater incentives, education and reward systems need to be put in place for all lifestyle components from the use of nutrients, diet, exercise, stress management and reducing toxins in the body.

In the coming weeks, we will be exploring the trade-offs between health and money here on the Village Green blog. Join us as we seek answers to these questions:

1. Is healthcare reform the right approach?
2. Is this plan sustainable long term?
3. Will this approach improve patient outcomes?
4. How do we truly manage costs long term?

Please contact us with your thoughts about these issues. We welcome your participation.

Yours for healthy living,
Marc Isaacson
President/CEO
Village Green Apothecary

For a more in-depth discussion of this topic, read my article, The Missing Link in Healthcare Reform: Why Healthy Living and Prevention Aren’t Part of the Plan… But Need To Be.

Posted in Village Green News |
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Blood Pressure: What you can do to help … naturally

by Paula Gallagher | August 4, 2009

I have always been asked what one can do for high blood pressure. But recently, it seems I am getting that question more and more often. Whether it’s linked to stress (and who isn’t stressed), or diet, or even if it’s because of Grandma Lucy and your genes, there are many things that you can do to support your heart! (more…)

Tags: blood pressure, garlic, heart health, stress
Posted in Health Concerns, Nutritional Supplements |
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