Resveratrol Reverses Adverse Blood Pressure Side Effect of Birth Control Pills

Estradiol is the form of estrogen released each month as an egg ripens. Women are exposed to excess levels due to imbalances caused by high stress, digestive problems, or from taking ERT to suppress hot flashes. Additionally, low steady-state estrogen that is supplied in birth control pills induces abnormal physiologic exposure to estradiol. New research shows that such ongoing estrogen exposure¹ induces free radical damage to a key area of the brain that controls blood pressure, resulting in high blood pressure. The researchers also showed that resveratrol Natural phenol or type of antioxidant found in red grapes, red wine. Research has shown beneficial effects as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents along with supporting healthy blood sugar and cardiovasculature function. could stop the free radical damage in the brain and prevent the elevation in blood pressure.

I reported back in 2007, in my article FDA Fails Women on Birth Control Safety, on a study presented at the yearly meeting of the American Heart Association. It showed that for every 10 years of birth control pills there is a 20 – 30 percent increase in peripheral artery small plaques. In 2008 I reported that birth control pills were found to induce a deficiency of vitamin B6 in 75% of women who were not taking B vitamin supplements, leading to elevated homocysteine It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine that is synthesized from methionine An essential amino acid which serves as a methyl donor and is involved with the biosynthesis of other nutrients. Improper conversion is associated with production of homocysteine and atherosclerosis. which requires adequate Folic Acid, B12, and B6 to function properly. Elevated levels have been associated with heart disease, thrombosis, strokes, Alzheimer's disease, and other disorders. and consequent plaque formation.

This new research sheds light on a different mechanism by which abnormal estrogen exposure can induce high blood pressure and increase the risk for cardiovascular problems. A region in the brain called the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is involved with how your nervous system regulates your blood pressure. A steady state of estrogen exposure in animals was found to induce excess production of the superoxide free radical, damaging this area of the brain and causing it to lose regulation ability – resulting in high blood pressure. The experiment mimicked the low-dose steady-state estrogen exposure that would be experienced by birth control pills. However, the same risk would apply to ERT or high estrogen states caused by stress or digestive problems. 

In an interview, lead study author Dr. P.S. MohanKumar said, “This is an important study on at least two levels. First, it continues to confirm the negative effect that long-term estrogen exposure has for females. Second, it provides a new rationale for how and why this relationship occurs.”

The good news is that resveratrol Natural phenol or type of antioxidant found in red grapes, red wine. Research has shown beneficial effects as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents along with supporting healthy blood sugar and cardiovasculature function. was able to protect against this type of estrogen-induced problem. Collectively these studies mean that women with estrogen imbalance (heavier cycles), women taking ERT, and women on birth control pills should take resveratrol Natural phenol or type of antioxidant found in red grapes, red wine. Research has shown beneficial effects as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents along with supporting healthy blood sugar and cardiovasculature function. and B vitamins to help reduce risks. Weight gain and/or elevated blood pressure, especially after being on such medication for any length of time, is a major red flag to take action. It is somewhat shocking that the FDA has allowed birth control pills on the market for decades without any accurate understanding of the risks or a demand to the companies that sell them to prove their safety. Yet another example of consumer beware when it comes to drugs.