A new study has been released by researchers at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City which could make us think twice about taking the pill – yet again. For the first time, experts have found women who take the pill everyday have a region in their brain that's smaller, than those who don't take the pill. Researchers scanned the brains of 50 women which lead to the discovery.
Your hypothalamus, the area of the brain in question, is essential for producing hormones which play a significant factor in our mood, appetite, sex drive and sleep. It's located above the pituitary gland, in the centre of your brain, and is approximately the size of a pea. Researchers reported that they saw a 'dramatic difference' in the size of womens' hypothalamus who regularly took pills for birth control.
Although researchers found the hypothalamus to be approximately 6% smaller in women who had taken the pill, there was no change in the participants behaviour or cognitive performance.
Scary as it might sound, other professionals say that the findings of the study aren't anything to worry about. Derek Hill, professor of medical at University College London said, 'Even if the difference in volume is real, it doesn’t mean that the contraceptive pill has damaged the brain.'
The study only looked at 50 women which is an extremely small sample size.
However, there is evidence, conducted by the same team, that suggests there's a link between the reduced size and experiencing depressive symptoms, also anger. Women have long reported a link between hormonal contraceptives and depression.
The study is not yet published in an academic journal, but will be presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting. A lead author in the study, Dr Michael Lipton said, 'for the first time', using the Pill is linked with a 'smaller hypothalamic volume'. He added, 'I like to tell people that for all parts of the body, size matters most in the brain.'
If you are worried about your relationship with the contraceptive pill, try chatting to your GP before making any major changes.
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The Unexpected Way That The Contraceptive Pill Affects Your Brain