Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Jul;17(13):1804-13.
Oral contraceptives (OCs) are a major class of prescription drug, used by a large proportion of women starting from early adolescence. Much research has been conducted to investigate the physiological changes that occur in women who take OCs. These include changes in general health as well as in nutritional needs. In terms of nutrition, several studies investigated whether women on OCs need different amounts of some vitamins and minerals. In particular, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) points out that the influence of OCs on nutrient requirements is a topic of high clinical relevance and should, therefore, receive great attention. It has been shown that the key nutrient depletions concern folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12, vitamin C and E and the minerals magnesium, selenium and zinc. Most research has focused on the levels of these vitamins and minerals in the blood of women who take OCs compared to women who do not. Since women who take OCs not always have adequate diet, may have unhealthy life style or may suffer from pathologies of malabsorption, the possibility to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies by taking appropriate dietary supplements should be considered a first-line approach by clinicians.
口服避孕药（OCs）是一类主要的处方药，很大一部分女性从青春期早期就开始服用。大量研究已经对服用 OCs 的女性发生的生理变化进行了研究。这些变化包括一般健康状况以及营养需求的变化。在营养方面，一些研究调查了服用 OCs 的女性是否需要不同数量的某些维生素和矿物质。特别是，世界卫生组织（WHO）的一份报告指出，OCs 对营养需求的影响是一个具有高度临床相关性的话题，因此应该引起高度关注。已经表明，关键的营养物质耗竭涉及叶酸、维生素 B2、B6、B12、维生素 C 和 E 以及矿物质镁、硒和锌。大多数研究都集中在服用 OCs 的女性与不服用 OCs 的女性的血液中这些维生素和矿物质的水平上。由于服用 OCs 的女性饮食并不总是充足，可能有不健康的生活方式或患有吸收不良的疾病，因此通过服用适当的膳食补充剂来预防维生素和矿物质缺乏症应该被临床医生视为一线方法。
