Estrogens & IUDs

The estrogenic effect of the oral contraceptive pill, combined with the fact that the synthetic progesterone in the pill (progestin) does not have a true progesterone effect, means that minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and B6 diminish while copper rises [16].  It's important to understand, contrary to common perception, that the progestin used in birth control pills (and some traditional HRT) does not act the same as natural progesterone. Even worse, synthetic progestin blocks real progesterone from reaching its receptor sites, impairing the action of natural progesterone[17].   As a result, the calming effect that women using real progesterone often experience may not be achieved by synthetic progestin. In fact, by blocking the GABA receptor, progestin inhibits the calming effect that otherwise would be achieved by the neuroinhibitory effect of progesterone. Instead, anxiety patterns may actually increase instead. 

Returning to the impact on the mineral system, consider the unstable (negative, sometimes even called crazy) emotions associated with pregnancy, or post-partum, or with PMS.  During pregnancy, estrogen rises, increasing copper retention. This is normal, as copper is needed to support blood vessels needed to create the baby.  The serum copper level almost doubles during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester!  After giving birth, however, if the mother is not able to detox her copper load (either through natural and healthy liver and bile functioning, motility, or via breast-feeding), her elevated copper level remains stored in her body, a factor which could further contribute to depression / PPD, and anxiety. In fact, women with a history of PPD have significantly higher serum levels of copper [14].

Many of the emotional symptoms of PMS are also copper induced as estrogen rises during the cycle. Estrogen rises up until ovulation, at which point progesterone takes over as the dominant hormone and helps bring down estrogen (and copper). But when a woman is estrogen dominant (relative to lower progesterone), or already copper toxic, the cyclic build-up of estrogen leads to a further increase of copper along with its correlated emotional symptoms.   Studies show that zinc deficiency resulting from increased copper occurs during the luteal phase - when PMS symptoms occur [18].   Copper also  antagonizes  Vitamin B6 and zinc - two nutrients which help reduce PMS symptoms and which are both needed for GABA production and turning on GABA receptors, respectively. GABA is our body’s main calming neurotransmitter. 

A large percentage of women on the Pill have negative side effects[19], but because this all-important mineral connection is so rarely discussed in medical circles, women typically don't associate the full list of their symptoms with the pill.  Even less association to symptoms is made with the copper IUD due to it being ‘non-hormonal’.  As explained from a legal perspective in the article ““Safe” and “Effective”?: IUDs and the Corporate Power Problem [20], despite the promises of the copper IUD being ‘safe and effective’, manufacturers – even though they are aware of the risks – do not adequately warn the consumer.

Furthermore, returning to the Pill, depression that might not develop until years or decades after going off the Pill is almost never associated with a young woman's early years on the Pill, even though research shows:

"women who had used birth control pills in their teenage years were up to three times more likely to be clinically depressed than women who had never used the pill." [21]

This underscores the importance of not only providing women more informed education on these connections, but also catching copper imbalances in young girls before they enter adolescence. With estrogen rising, and with too severe a copper imbalance, severe emotional and psychological issues may have an increased risk of developing during these formative years.

In the book Copper Bioavailability and Metabolism [24], it explains:
 

“The effect of estrogen on serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels was first reported by Cartwright et al., (1950) among women in their second and third trimester of pregnancy. When synthetic estrogen and progestogen compounds became available in the form of oral contraceptive agents (OCAs) "the pill", several investigators unequivocally demonstrated the serum copper and/or ceruloplasmin elevating effect of these compounds in both humans (Margen and King, 1975; Crews et al., 1980; Prema et al., 1980; Vir and Love, 1981; Flynn. 1982; Held et al., 1988) and rats (Meyer et al., 1958; Evans et al., 1970; Yunice and Lindeman, 1975; Lei et al., 1976). The increase in serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels is due to the estrogen and not the progestogen component of "the pill" (Briggs et al., 1970). In a cross-sectional and longitudinal study lasting 18  months it was  confirmed that  irrespective  of the  compound, dose and route of administration the estrogen- containing OCAs caused a significant increase in serum copper within 10 days of starting the contraceptive and the levels continued to rise until day 25 reaching the highest concentration at the end of 3 months with no further increase due to their continued use up to 18 months.” 

Estrogen dominance doesn’t always mean that estrogen is high. People can have normal estrogen levels and still be estrogen dominant as it’s the relationship between estrogen and progesterone that matters.  So even if both estrogen and progesterone are low, estrogen dominance can still exist if that progesterone is even lower. 

Beyond the influence of contraceptives, xenoestrogens, and phytoestrogens, even stress can contribute to excess estrogen.  Estrogen in turn mimics the shock phase of the stress reaction.  Dr. Hans Selye, MD (widely considered the ‘father of stress research’) explained how estrogen causes the pituitary to secrete hormones which impair the ovaries from producing progesterone, while at the same time stimulating cortisol production. For women as they enter their late-thirties, progesterone levels begin to decline more quickly than estrogen, further contributing to estrogen dominance in women.

Between the ages of 35 to 50, while estrogen drops about 35%, progesterone drops by up to 75%, leading more and more to estrogen dominance as menopause approaches.  A zinc deficiency (to which stress can contribute) then allows copper to accumulate further.  This is on top of the burden presented by the presence of estrogens and xenoestrogens to which we’re exposed environmentally.  If the body can’t efficiently detox or regulate those estrogens, the trend moves further toward estrogen dominance.  Women are becoming more estrogen dominant, especially in the Western world, and some experts link this increase of estrogen to the rise in rates of breast cancer, infertility, autoimmune diseases, etc[25]. This further impacts the number of people who currently and who in the future could be diagnosed as copper toxic.