How Much Vitamin C To Prevent Pregnancy

Can vitamin c prevent pregnancy

  • Does Vitamin C Help Prevent Pregnancy?
  • Overdose of Vitamin C
  • How Is Vitamin C Used to Prevent Pregnancy

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A married couple, who is not looking to start a family soon enough, is likely to look for options to prevent the chances of pregnancy. There are ample options available to a couple for birth control, ranging from barrier methods to IUDs. But if a couple doesn't want to use these methods of contraception and is looking for natural ways, they may have come across the Vitamin C technique in order to prevent pregnancy. Vitamin C is known to act as a natural contraceptive, but does it really work and is it a safe method of contraception? Let's find out!

Does Vitamin C Help Prevent Pregnancy?

Vitamin C is believed to prevent pregnancy but there's no evidence to confirm the same. Vitamin C contains ascorbic acid. Consuming it in more than the required amounts is believed to hamper with progesterone levels, an essential hormone required to carry the pregnancy to the term. This hampering leads to the uterus being unable to support conception – progesterone helps prepare the uterus for the implantation of the egg, and the lack of progesterone can prevent implantation and hence, conception.

However, there is no reliable scientific information to confirm that Vitamin C intake can prevent pregnancy or terminate the chances of pregnancy. Furthermore, too much Vitamin C consumption can cause diarrhoea and stomachache.

Overdose of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is good for health and is often recommended to pregnant women (in limited doses) to support a healthy pregnancy. But what happens when it is consumed in high amounts? It may prevent pregnancy, but it should not be a couple's go-to option, as there is no scientific study to back that Vitamin C acts as a natural contraceptive. But can it lead to a miscarriage if consumed in excess? Read on to find out!

Can an Overdose of Vitamin C Cause a Miscarriage?

Pregnant women must be extremely careful with their vitamin C intake because a high dosage can lead to a hostile environment for the fertilised egg in the uterus. It may loosen the grip of the egg, and the egg may not be able to attach itself to the uterine lining, causing a miscarriage. The acidity present in vitamin C fiddles with estrogen levels in the body, which affect the sex hormones in the body. So the answer is yes, it can lead to a miscarriage. But there are other possible complications that may arise because of the consumption of excess Vitamin C.

Other Impacts

Vitamin C can have other impacts on a woman's body. For instance, if you take vitamin C, your menstrual cycle may arrive earlier than expected. The cycle in most women goes from 28 to 30 days – increased amounts of vitamin C in your body can reduce the levels of progesterone and increase the levels of estrogen, causing the uterus to relax and begin menstruation.

vitamin C rich fruits include lemons, papaya, oranges and pineapples

How Is Vitamin C Used to Prevent Pregnancy

Here are some most common ways in which Vitamin C is used to prevent pregnancy.

1. Vitamin C is present in lemons in high amount. Including lemons in the diet in the form of juice or anything else is known to prevent pregnancy. However, consuming lemon juice in high amounts during pregnancy can lead to a miscarriage.

2. Vitamin C is also taken in the form of emergency contraceptive pills. Pills are also ingested to prevent conception. However, the pills taken should be pure Vitamin C pills and not with additives.

4. Eating fruits rich in Vitamin C such as papaya, pineapple, sugarcane, oranges is another way to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

vitamin c can be consumed either as food or in the form of pills

For couples who are not looking to get pregnant or trying to terminate an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, there are enough and more contraceptive options available to them. While Vitamin C is believed to be one of the natural ways to prevent and terminate a pregnancy, there are no studies to confirm the same.

In order to prevent pregnancy, there are safer medical options available, which a couple can resort to. Vitamin C intake can lead to heartburn, bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, etc., so it should not be taken over-the-counter (OTC). Speak to your gynaecologist for alternative options and stay safe!

Disclaimer: The information given in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. There's no study that proves that Vitamin C helps prevent pregnancy, so it is best avoided. We urge readers to seek the advice of a physician with regards to methods to prevent pregnancy.

Also Read: How to Avoid Pregnancy: Methods & Home Remedies

How Much Vitamin C To Prevent Pregnancy

Source: https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/does-vitamin-c-prevent-pregnancy/