If you take prescription drugs, here are some nutritional facts especially for YOU. Many people who are on prescription drugs, as well as many doctors and pharmacist who administer them, don’t understand that some medications can reduce absorption and even cause depletion of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes crucial for good health.
Well Dr. Atkins, I take prescription drugs but I take vitamins, should I be concerned? With certain drugs I’d be concerned. Simply put, many drugs while intended to help people, deplete crucial nutrients in the body. Over time, if you don’t replenish the body, nutrients become seriously depleted and can cause a downhill slide to further health problems.
You may have heard that statin drugs deplete CoQ10. But did you know that statin drugs directly or indirectly deplete nutrients like betacarotene, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, folic acid,phosphorous, vitamin A, B12, vitamin E, vitamin K, zinc and vitamin D? Coenzyme Q10 is famous for its role in the mitochondria and for energy production. But minerals and vitamins are necessary for energy production as well, especially magnesium, which is deficient in most Americans and is a major influence on heart function. Think about it, you take statin drugs to reduce cholesterol; but in doing so, you deplete the nutrients that are needed for healthy muscle function. Hmmmm, Isn’t the heart a muscle? What could possibly go wrong?
Another group of nutrient depletions are caused by diuretics. It makes sense that diuretics as a group will deplete minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium as forced increased urination is the goal of the drug. Increase urination and you will have a loss of minerals, probably all minerals.
However, an important nutrient lost with diuretics is B1. B1 is essential for healthy sugar metabolism. Many people are not aware that B1 is a huge deficiency and should be supplemented with anyone who is taking diuretics.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are another class of drugs that cause stomach bleeding. In fact over 16,000 people die every year from NSAID use.
Oral contraceptives are another class of drugs that deplete nutrients. It is very common for families to take oral contraceptives and plan a pregnancy only to find they can’t conceive. I wonder if maybe it is the lack of depleted nutrients that causes the systemic or metabolic inflammatory problems that prevent conception. It’s very possible. The deficiencies caused by oral contraceptives are beta-carotene, B1, B2,B3, B5, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin, vitamin C,magnesium, zinc, tryptophan and tyrosine.
SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are antidepressant medications that deplete B6, B12, folic acid, vitamin D and sodium. Even if SSRIs don’t directly deplete essential fatty acids we know that “people who are depressed can benefit from supplementing essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids can help with inflammation and depression.”
Antidiabetic medication will reduce Coenzyme Q10, folic acid and B12.
Do you take antibiotics frequently? Antibiotics obviously cause a need for flora replacement, but did you know that “antibiotics will cause depletions in biotin, inositol, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and vitamin K?
The drugs I’ve mentioned and many more create nutrient deficiencies. If you are taking one or more prescription drugs, I’d recommend that you get examined for factors that cause nutrient deficiencies.
If you’ve made the decision to take pharmaceuticals, especially long term, you should at least compensate by supplementing the nutrients that are depleted by these drugs. Foundationally you need to take a quality multivitamin mineral, balanced essential fatty acids and an active probiotic.
Talk to your Wellness professional about the medications you take. They can help you replenish vital nutrients necessary for living healthy. Knowing the truth about your prescription drugs is the first step. The next step is doing something about it.
