Birth control WILL cause nutrient deficiencies

Long term use of birth control will cause deficiencies in a bunch of different important nutrients. There’s a consequence to everything we take. One of the most common patterns I see is PCOS diagnoses on the rise with young women who have been on birth control for 5-15 years. They don’t show the typical signs of PCOS but are told by their OBGYN they have it.

Most common nutrient deficiencies from taking birth control

The most common nutrient deficiencies I see (because we run an advanced lab test called the NutrEval that checks your nutrient levels) are:

  • Tyrosine
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium
  • B12
  • B6
  • B2
  • Folate

When essential nutrients are missing or at a lower than optimal level, this will lead to symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, depression, weight gain, digestive issues and hormone imbalances.

What should you do?

There are a few options if you’ve been on long term birth control and it will ultimately depend on your goals. Are you trying to get pregnant? Are you using birth control because your doctor said it will fix your hormones (FYI it doesn’t). Are you using birth control because you don’t want to get pregnant?


The first step when you work with someone like me is running in depth advanced lab work to see what’s going on. I use advanced labs that your normal doctor can’t run (because they have ZERO training in nutrition and optimizing your body. Their only job is to prescribe medications). Those advanced labs range from nutrient testing, to in depth hormone, detox and gut tests. Depending on your medical history and goals, I will recommend the most appropriate tests.

Then based on what we find, we will develop a customized supplement and botanical program for 3-12 months to get your body working again. During this time you’d also work on specific diet, lifestyle and exercise recommendations.



In the end, the only goal is to give your body the opportunity to do what it’s supposed to do, and that’s to thrive. We can’t thrive if things aren’t functioning properly. 

If you feel like crap and have used birth control for an extended period of time (more than a few years), then it’s time to take a different approach. 

As always, you can text me directly at 813-534-0311 or email me directly at office@hansoncomplete.com



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Picture of Dr. Josh Hanson, DACM

Dr. Josh Hanson, DACM

Dr. Josh Hanson specializes in treating complex chronic conditions integrating Eastern Medicine with modern Western approaches. His clinic is in Tampa, FL where patients travel from all over the USA to receive life changing treatment.
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