Learn About These Findings
You are doing your best to live a healthy lifestyle by eating the right foods to get the right nutrients. You make time to exercise, you get enough sleep, find leisure time to relax and you maybe even taking vitamin and mineral supplements to cover all your nutrition bases. However, if you are taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, you should become aware that some drugs are potential nutritional thieves. The question you maybe asking why is this? Nutrition researchers know that drug-nutrient interaction is a
a potentially serious problem. Some drugs can remove nutrients from the body, prevent absorption of nutrients, or affect the body’s ability to convert nutrients into usable forms.
Over-the counter and prescription medications such as Prilosec used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease alter the pH of the stomach, and by doing so may inhibit the absorption of calcium. As a result, you are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis when you take these drugs for a long time, especially if you are elderly or at risk for developing the disease.
Diuretics and antihypertensive agents may deplete minerals and electrolytes in your body.
These are calcium, potassium and magnesium. Diuretics are used to treat hypertension and work to reduce salt in the body. Depletion of minerals and electrolytes can result in feelings of tiredness and drowsiness. If these symptoms go unnoticed, they could proceed to coma, seizures and even death.
The researchers said that of the top 25 drugs prescribed most often, 19 have the potential for causing serious nutrient deficiencies.
The groups most vulnerable and at risk are pregnant and nursing women, infants and the elderly. These groups are likely to be deficient in the essential nutrients to begin with.
Here are some recommendations that you may want to follow:
If you are taking any of these drugs, you may want to check with your doctor to see whether you should increase your intake of the nutrients that the medication affects.
Hope Anderson is a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist Coach, specializing in Healthy Lifestyle. She is passionate about inspiring people how to engage and learn about food, nutrition and its impact on health in making informed decisions for themselves.
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