| Many
essential nutrients, can be loss by using popular prescription drugs
that could be doing your body more harm than good.
All kinds
of health problems have developed by the use of popularly prescribed
drugs which have been proven to leach important vitamins, minerals, and
key enzymes out of your body or prevent it from being able to absorb
them. They can also affect metabolism and even make it impossible for
your body to use certain nutrients.
Here is a
list are some of the most commonly used drugs that can cause any one of
the problems.
Acid
Blockers
These drugs
that are used to relieve heartburn or acid reflux, could possibly be
shortchanging your body of zinc and iron. You need zinc in abundance
for its power to help your body recover from wounds and injury and
fight off infectious diseases.
It's also
one of the keys to prostate health, virility, and sexual performance,
also for men, the prostate gland is where most of the body's zinc is
concentrated.
Acid
blockers' also effect iron levels -- particularly in women. Without
enough of it, a host of problems set in, including anemia, fatigue, and
greater vulnerability to illness. Iron is very important to all of us
because we need it to enable our blood to deliver oxygen to
every cell in our bodies.
Aspirin
Studies
have shown that aspirin makes it harder for your body to absorb vitamin
C. It can also decrease levels of iron and folic acid, leading to
anemia, susceptibility to cold and flu, and a host of additional
ailments.
Hormone
Replacement Drugs
The drugs
doctors are prescribing to millions every year, as "hormone
replacement" to offset declining hormone levels aren't "replacing"
anything. That's because drug makers derive them from animal hormones
that are utterly foreign to your body.
Studies
show that these drugs deplete a long list of critical nutrients,
including:
Vitamin
B2 (riboflavin),
Folic acid,
Zinc,
Magnesium,
Vitamin C,
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Oral
Contraceptives
It has been
shown that oral contraceptives can drain your body of vitamin B6, B12,
zinc, and blood magnesium levels. This can cause unwanted side effects
in motion, including sleeplessness, mood swings, diarrhea, poor immune
resistance, insomnia, depression -- even anorexia.
Corticosteroids
Prednisone
and hydrocortisone which are types of corticosteroids, are some of the
top drugs used to treat lupus, Crohn's disease, and other autoimmune or
inflammatory conditions. Unfortunately, they also leach calcium from
your body and increase its elimination, putting you at greater risk of
bone fracture and osteoporosis.
There have
been studies which have shown that these drugs can also lower levels of
key trace elements, including magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, and
potassium. So if you are taking these drugs, you should also be taking
supplements to offset the loss of so many important nutrients.
Anti-Diabetic
Drugs
Metformin,
one of the most widely used medications to treat the symptoms of
diabetes, robs your body of vitamin B12 and folic acid. It can also
affect the health of your heart over time, because it also lowers CoQ10
levels.
CoQ10
is
needed by every cell in your body for metabolism, and it's especially
crucial for the proper function of your vital organs, including the
brain, heart, and liver. Your body makes less and less of it as you age.
Blood
Pressure Drugs
If you take
some of the most common drugs to treat hypertension, you could also be
deficient in vitamin B6 and CoQ10, unless you take supplements too.
Statin
Drugs
Lipitor,
Zocor, Mevacor, and other drugs like these are great at driving your
LDL cholesterol levels through the floor; unfortunately, they do the
same thing to CoQ10 levels. Here are just a few of the risks you face
if you're taking statins:
- Rhabdomyolysis
(painful bursting of muscle cells)
Diuretics
There are
two kinds of diuretics: thiazides and loop diuretics, they are used to
lower blood pressure. They are also prescribed for diseases of the
kidney and liver, as well as for heart health.
While they
help to fight these health conditions, they can also cause serious
health problems. Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Hydrodiuril) lowers
levels of zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Loop diuretics like
furosemide (Delone, Detue, Lasix), and bumetanide (Bumex) also deplete
calcium, and vitamins B6 and C.
Here's a
list of signs to watch out for. They may mean you're missing an
important nutrient:
B1
(Thiamin)
Depression,
memory loss, weight loss, fatigue, numbness
B2
Dermatitis,
lesions at the corners of the mouth, swollen tongue, vision loss
B3
(Niacin) Skin
lesions, insomnia, depression, aggression, swelling, diarrhea,
weakness, "brain fog," balding
B5
(Pantothenic Acid)
Fatigue,
numbness, foot pain
B6
(Pyridoxine) Depression,
fatigue, dermatitis, anemia, glucose intolerance
B7
(Biotin) Balding,
depression, dermatitis, nausea, anorexia
B9
(Folate) Anemia,
fatigue, cervical dysplasia, diarrhea, gingivitis, depression,
irritability, insomnia
B12
(Cobalamin) Anemia,
fatigue, poor nerve function, diarrhea, loss of memory
Vitamin
C Liver
spots, bleeding at the gums, fatigue
Calcium
Weakened
bones and fractures, muscle spasms
Magnesium
Fatigue,
irritability, weakness, muscle cramps, insomnia, anorexia
Potassium
Fatigue,
irregular heartbeat, irritability, confusion, reduced nerve function
Iron
Anemia,
weakness, fatigue, poor immune function
Zinc
Slow
recovery from wounds, decreased immunity, loss of taste and smell,
balding, skin disorders, sexual dysfunction
Selenium
Poor
immune
function, heart disease
CoQ10
Hypertension,
fatigue, cardiovascular disease
Carnitine
Muscle
weakness, inability to digest fat, stunted growth in children, poor
athletic performance
If you're
not taking supplements, here are the basics:
Vitamin
C:
- 1,500 mg to
4,000 mg per day
B
Complex-
B6:
Folic
Acid:
B12:
CoQ10:
Cod
Liver
Oil:
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