What’s Depleting You?
By EeVon Ling BSc. ND

Are you taking medication?

For many Canadians the answer is “yes”. While you may think that your medication is helping you, it may actually be depleting your body of precious vitamins, minerals and important nutrients. In fact, the medicine that you are taking may be depleting the very nutrients that your body needs to deal with the condition that you are taking the medication for.

How is this so?

During the process of digestion, the nutrients obtained are used to help run all of the body’s biochemical processes. When we take medications, they are also digested so that the active components can be taken up by the body, much like nutrients. Unfortunately, these medicinal components can alter, replace or use up the natural components (vitamins, minerals and other nutrients) of certain biochemical processes. The situation is further compounded by the fact that many of these nutrient depleting drugs are used long-term and most conventional doctors and pharmacists are not aware of the vitamin depletions. In addition, the nutrient interactions may also contribute to the drug side effects.

Here is a short list of examples of the kinds of nutrient depletions caused by common medications:

Oral contraceptives or birth control pills deplete folic acid, B vitamins such as B2, B6, B12, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc. These vitamins are vital for reproductive health, the immune system, bones, blood and metabolism. Also, depletions of these vitamins can aggravate PMS symptoms such as cramping, irritability, cravings and weight gain.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS , such as ibuprofen, anaprox, etc., deplete folic acid. Aspirin also depletes folic acid long with vitamin C, iron and potassium and zinc

Ulcer medication such as Pepcid, Zantic, Tagamet, etc., interfere with normal digestion and can result in iron, folic acid, B12, zinc, vitamin D, calcium and amino acid depletion. Antacids such as Tums and Rolaids change the stomach pH needed to absorb B12, folic acid, calcium, phosphate, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and protein

Most heart medications (betablockers) deplete CoQ10, an important antioxidant that, if depleted, can worsen heart conditions. Some cholesterol lowering drugs also deplete this vital nutrient.

Antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria and, in doing so, deplete all B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K. Tetracycline antibiotics bind to minerals (thus you can’t absorb them) calcium, magnesium, Zinc, B6 and B12

The list of drug induced nutrient depletions goes on and on. So what is the solution? Is it a simple matter of supplementing the depleted nutrient when taking a medication? Not exactly.

In some cases it is safe to supplement, but in other cases certain vitamins and minerals should not be taken with certain medications. For example, those on calcium channel blockers should not supplement with calcium.

Also keep in mind that nutrients do not work in isolation. Nutrients depend on other nutrients to perform a chain of biochemical reactions. Therefore if one nutrient is depleted, other associated nutrients will not work as well. For example, all the B vitamins work with each other to carry out their respective functions in metabolism and nerve and brain function.

If you have been on long term medication and yet your health is still failing, or you are concerned about how your medication is affecting your health, please see a health professional who has received training in nutrient-drug interactions, such as a naturopathic doctor or medical doctor with such knowledge.