Combined oral contraceptives, often called birth control pills, are among the most widely used medications for women around the world.
Millions of women take them to prevent pregnancy, regulate menstrual cycles, reduce painful periods, improve acne, and manage hormone-related conditions.
For many women, these medications are safe and effective and can significantly improve quality of life.
Combined oral contraceptives contain synthetic versions of two hormones, estrogen and progestin.
Most packs include active pills that contain these hormones and inactive pills that contain no hormones. The inactive pills are often included to allow a monthly withdrawal bleed that resembles a period.
Scientists have known for many years that natural changes in hormone levels can influence mood, appetite, and eating behaviors.
Previous research has suggested that natural ovarian hormones may play an important role in the risk of binge eating in females. However, much less is known about whether synthetic hormones found in birth control pills might have similar effects.
Binge eating involves consuming unusually large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over eating.
One common form is emotional eating, in which people eat excessively in response to stress, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, or other negative emotions. Repeated episodes of binge eating can affect physical health, emotional well-being, and self-esteem and may increase the risk of developing eating disorders.
A new study from Michigan State University has provided important new information about this issue. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, is the first large-scale study to examine changes in binge-related symptoms among women taking combined oral contraceptives.
The study followed 422 women from the Michigan State University Twin Registry who were taking combined oral contraceptives. The researchers tracked the participants for 49 consecutive days.
The design of the study gave scientists a unique opportunity to examine how eating behaviors changed within the same woman. Because the pill packs included both active hormone pills and inactive hormone-free pills, researchers could compare eating behaviors during periods of hormone exposure and periods without hormone exposure.
Every day, participants reported their experiences with emotional eating and other binge-related symptoms. By collecting information daily, the researchers were able to capture changes that may have been missed in earlier studies that relied on less frequent assessments.
The findings showed that emotional eating increased significantly when women were taking active hormone pills compared with inactive pills. The pattern was observed not only in the full sample but also among women who reported current or previous histories of clinically significant binge eating.
The results suggest that synthetic hormones may affect eating behaviors in some women. However, the researchers emphasized that not all women experienced increased binge eating. Many women took the pills without developing significant eating problems.
Kelly Klump, the lead author of the study and a distinguished professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology, said the findings are important because they highlight a potential negative effect that may occur in certain women.
At the same time, she stressed that combined oral contraceptives remain safe for many women and that increased risk is likely limited to those who have other vulnerability factors.
Another encouraging finding emerged during the study. Simply asking women to monitor and report their eating behaviors every day appeared to help reduce binge eating symptoms. The reductions were observed even when participants were taking active hormone pills.
This process, known as self-monitoring, has already been used in several areas of mental health care. Paying attention to thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can sometimes increase awareness and help people recognize patterns that contribute to unhealthy habits.
In reviewing these findings, it is important to remember that the study shows an association rather than proof that birth control pills directly cause binge eating. Many factors influence eating behaviors, including genetics, stress, mental health, body image, and previous experiences with eating disorders.
Nevertheless, the study raises important questions about how synthetic hormones may affect certain women differently. The findings support the idea that health care may become increasingly personalized in the future. Doctors may eventually be able to identify women who are more vulnerable to changes in eating behavior and offer additional monitoring or support.
The discovery that simple self-monitoring may reduce symptoms is also encouraging because it represents an inexpensive and easily accessible tool that could help women better manage their mental and emotional health while using hormonal contraceptives.
If you care about depression, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and extra-virgin olive oil could reduce depression symptoms.
