Re: Good advice from Dr. Al Sears, MD

[Guest guest]

Beware the Drugs That Rob Your Health and Strength

By Dr. Al Sears, MD

" Popular prescription drugs can rob your body of many essential nutrients,

doing you more harm than good. Scores of popularly prescribed drugs for all

kinds of health problems 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.

Some of the most commonly used drugs in America today can cause any one of

the problems on this list.

Aspirin

You may be surprised to learn that aspirin makes it harder for your body to

absorb vitamin C. (1) It can also decrease levels of iron and folic acid,

leading to anemia, susceptibility to cold and flu, and a host of additional

ailments. (2)

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives have been shown to drain your body of vitamin B6, B12,

zinc, and magnesium. This can set a cascade of unwanted side effects in

motion, including sleeplessness, mood swings, diarrhea, poor immune

resistance, insomnia, depression -- even anorexia. (3)

Acid Blockers

If you're taking drugs to relieve heartburn or acid reflux, chances are

you're shortchanging your body of zinc and iron.(4-5) 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. In fact, for men, the prostate gland is

where most of the body's zinc is concentrated.

Acid blockers' also effect iron levels -- particularly in women. We all

need iron to enable our blood to deliver oxygen to every cell in our bodies.

Without enough of it, a host of problems set in, including anemia, fatigue,

and greater vulnerability to illness.

Corticosteroids

Prednisone and hydrocortisone 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.

Some studies have shown these drugs can also lower levels of key trace

elements, including magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, and potassium.

Hormone Replacement Drugs

The term " hormone replacement " is totally misleading : the drugs doctors are

prescribing to millions every year 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

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Vitamin C

Zinc

Magnesium

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 attack heart

health over time, partly because it also lowers CoQ10 levels. Every cell in

your body needs it for metabolism, and it's especially crucial for the

proper function of your vital organs, including the brain, heart, and liver.

As you age, your body makes less and less of it.

Statin Drugs

Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, and the like are great at driving your LDL

cholesterol levels through the floor; unfortunately, they do the same thing

to CoQ10 levels. A few of the risks you face from them are:

Inability to concentrate

Depression

Confusion

Impotence

Amnesia

Lowered sex drive

Disorientation

Weakened immune system

Shortness of breath

Liver damage

Fatigue

Kidney failure

Nerve pain

Muscle weakness

Rhabdomyolysis (painful bursting of muscle cells)

Death

Blood Pressure Drugs

Sixty-five million Americans have high blood pressure according to the

American Heart Association. The most common drugs prescribed to treat

hypertension cause deficiency of vitamin B6 and CoQ10.

Diuretics

There are two kinds of diuretics: thiazides and loop diuretics. They're

prescribed to lower blood pressure. Doctors also prescribe them for diseases

of the kidney and liver, as well as for heart health.

They can cause serious health problems.

Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Hydrodiuril) lowers levels of zinc,

magnesium, and potassium.

Loop diuretics like furosemide (Delone, Detue, Lasix), and bumetanide

(Bumex) deplete calcium and vitamins B6 and C.

Here's a list I've put together of signs to watch out for. They may mean

you're missing an important nutrient:

Malnourishment: Nutrients and Signs to Watch For

B1 : Depression, memory loss, weight loss, fatigue, numbness

B2 : Dermatitis, lesions at the corners of the mouth, swollen tongue, vision

loss

B3 : Skin lesions, insomnia, depression, aggression, swelling, diarrhea,

weakness, " brain fog, " balding

B5 : Fatigue, numbness, foot pain

B6 : Depression, fatigue, dermatitis, anemia, glucose intolerance

B7 : Balding, depression, dermatitis, nausea, anorexia

B9 : Anemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia, diarrhea, gingivitis, depression,

irritability, insomnia

B12 : 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 and wonder if you should, here are the

basics that I recommend to most of my patients.

Vitamin C: 1,500 mg to 4,000 mg per day

B Complex plus

B6 - 150 mg per day

Folic Acid - 1600 mcg per day

B12 - 800 mg per day (sublingual)

CoQ10: 200 mg per day

Cod Liver Oil: 1 to 2 tablespoons a day

References

Das et al. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1992.

17(6):343-6.

Lawrence et al. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine. 1984.

103(6):944-8.

Bielenberg J. Medizinische Monatsschrift für Pharmazeuten. 1991.

14(8):244-7.

Sturniolo et al. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1991.

10(4):372-5.

Aymard et al. Medical Toxicology and Adverse Drug Experience. 1988.

3(6):430-48.

[Dr. Sears has written over 500 articles and seven books in the fields of

alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]

Best of Health!

Dr. Saul Pressman