Common drugs that make you sicker by stealing nutrients

Of all the health advice we offer here, there’s one thing you’ll hear over and over.

Eating a plant-heavy diet is as close as you’re going to come to the Fountain of Youth.

Eliminate sugar and processed foods for a ticket to a longer, more vibrant life.

And you definitely want the vibrant part. You don’t want just a long life. You want a long, healthy life.

For the most part, a truly healthy diet should supply you with all the vitamins and minerals you need.

But even if you eat a healthy, vitamin-rich diet, you could be losing much of the benefit if you’re taking a medication that sucks the nutrients out of you as fast as you can put them in.

You may not notice it at first…

In fact, you won’t even know it’s happening. But if you continue taking certain medications on a long-term basis, you will gradually feel the symptoms of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Here, then, are four commonly prescribed drugs and the vitamins or minerals you’ll need to replace if you’re taking them.

Four medications that steal your health

1. Metformin. The most popular anti-diabetes drug in the United States, metformin depletes the body of Vitamin B12.

Not only will a B12 deficiency lead to anemia, but it can cause mental health symptoms that resemble those of depression or Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to memory problems, symptoms of B12 deficiency may include numbness, tingling in the feet, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue. The deficiency typically develops slowly over time, so regular screening could detect it early.

Related: I took metformin for a week and this happened

2. Statins. These cholesterol-lowering drugs come with a boatload of problems. They increase the risk of breast cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.

And here’s something ironic. While statins are meant to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, they actually rob the body of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Your mitochondria, the cellular energy producer, relies on CoQ10. A deficiency in CoQ10 spells danger for your heart since its demands for energy are huge.

Not only that: Some studies have shown that long-term statin use may accelerate coronary artery calcification.

According to Yulia Klopouh, Director of Pharmacy at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, any person taking statins must supplement with CoQ10.

3. Osteoporosis medications. Drugs such as Fosamax are known as bisphosphonates. Their job is to prevent fractures by pushing calcium into the bones. But if you’re not replacing that calcium, eventually there will be no calcium to draw on.

Of course, calcium is readily available in a range of foods, from dairy to seafood to fortified cereal. But when taking a drug that depletes it, even fortified foods won’t help.

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4. Antibiotics. As a child, I remember taking antibiotics for almost everything. They were the “magic bullet” for colds, ear infections to sore throats, and cuts and scrapes.

And now, because of over-prescribing, we face an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

But even the “reasonable” antibiotic use can have far-reaching effects on your health…

A course of antibiotics can wipe out the “good” bacteria that balance your gut and keep it healthy, along with the B vitamins, vitamin K, biotin, inositol, and calcium.

What will this affect? Blood sugar, cholesterol, fertility, skin and hair, energy levels, and mental health (a lack of B vitamins can cause depressive symptoms).

Antibiotics can also increase your risk for the dangerous superbug infections known as Candida and C. diff.

Things you can do

If you do need to take these or other medications for any length of time, take extra care to eat a diet of nutrient-rich foods and avoid empty calories from sugar, alcohol and processed foods. And there’s certainly no harm in supplementing vitamins and other nutrients.

Also, discuss your concerns with your doctor. If he understands your goal is less medication and more health, he might be on board to help.

Your pharmacist is the best professional to go to with questions about how your medication will affect you, and what extra precautions you might take to avoid problems. They are trained to help you manage your prescriptions, and are always ready to consult with you.

Sources:

1. Top 10 Medications That Deplete Your Body Of Essential Nutrients — Yuliya Klopouh, Director Of Pharmacy at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)
2. High dose and long-term statin therapy accelerate coronary artery calcification — International Journal of Cardiology
3. Long-term Metformin Use and Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study — The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
4. Don’t Let STATINS Break Your Heart! — STATIN NATION