Hormonal birth control can sometimes cause weight gain. A copper IUD or barrier method may prevent weight gain associated with hormonal birth control options.
If you’ve ever checked out the side effects of some birth control, you may have noticed both weight loss and weight gain listed.
But is there a type that’s best for weight loss or maintaining your current weight? Read on for a deep dive into the topic.
No form of birth control has been designed for weight loss. However, some forms are believed to have less of a chance of creating weight gain.
Barrier methods
Barrier methods, like condoms and diaphragms, act as a physical sperm-blocking barrier. This means they don’t contain any hormones, and there’s no way they could affect your weight.
But they don’t work as well as other contraceptives — out of 100 people, 18 to 28 will become pregnant each year when relying solely on a barrier method to prevent pregnancy.
ParaGard
Also known as the copper IUD, ParaGard doesn’t contain hormones either. Instead, it uses copper to stop sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg.
It’s also more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, can be kept in for up to 10 years, and can even be used as emergency contraception if needed.
Combination pills
As higher estrogen levels are believed to be linked to weight gain, a pill containing a lower dose of synthetic estrogen may help.
These pills usually come in a combined form, meaning they contain synthetic estrogen and progesterone.
One brand, Yasmin, uses a synthetic progesterone alternative called drospirenone, which acts like a diuretic. This means you’re unlikely to have water retention.
Pills like this are over 99% effective when used correctly and consistently.
Anecdotally, you’ll often hear that people gain weight after using hormonal birth control. And it’s listed as a side effect on the likes of some pill packets. But science has yet to find a strong link between the two.
Of the studies that have been carried out on the pill, evidence of weight gain has been described as
However, none of that means gaining weight isn’t a side effect — just that there needs to be more high quality research.
Similarly, small-scale studies have found
There are a few theories. One suggests that the higher estrogen levels in some hormonal methods can make people feel hungrier. When they eat more, they can inevitably gain weight.
There’s a second theory that states that those same estrogen levels can cause water retention. Although this would create a larger number on the scales, you wouldn’t actually have put on any weight.
But it could mean that your body looks different in certain areas and your clothes fit differently. Some people are more prone to water retention than others, which would explain the individual differences.
It’s also possible that birth control could simply cause an increase in body fat or muscle tissue.
However, there’s little research to prove or disprove any of these theories.
Embarking on a healthy lifestyle can help you maintain your weight.
For example, you could eat a balanced diet, engage in physical activity, and limit the amount of salty, sugary, or fatty foods in your diet. Staying hydrated is also important.
Even if you do this, it’s possible you might still feel like you’ve gained weight. This is often a temporary side effect caused by water retention.
Science hasn’t determined exactly why some methods may lead to weight gain. However, it’s believed that higher estrogen levels can lead to more water retention or that some contraceptives may increase appetite.
No birth control method has been designed for or scientifically proven to cause weight loss. But one of the hormones in Yasmin, drospirenone, can act as a diuretic.
That means it may lead to less or no water retention, giving the illusion that you’ve lost weight.
There isn’t much concrete evidence of weight gain from birth control. But a 2016 review found that, on average, people who took a progestin-only pill gained fewer than 4.4 pounds after 6 or 12 months.
If you’ve gained weight as a result of birth control, those effects will disappear within a few months of stopping it. However, there’s also a chance that weight changes will have nothing to do with your contraceptive.
The jury’s still out on whether birth control causes weight gain or weight loss. But lots of people have stories of weight-related side effects, so it’s possible.
That doesn’t mean you should use birth control as a weight loss method, as it’s unlikely to have a significant effect, if any at all.
Instead, try to craft healthy habits. If in doubt, speak with a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
If you need a more accessible and affordable way to get hold of birth control, consider online platforms like Nurx or Hers.