Are Your Prescriptions Robbing You Blind?
By Dr. Joseph Pizzorno
Founder, Bastyr University
Medical Director, Village Green Apothecary
There are numerous studies showing that the commonly prescribed prescription drugs, and many over-the-counter (OTC) medications, deplete nutrients in the human body. On the surface this might not sound alarming, but in reality it’s causing a major health epidemic. We take one prescription to target one condition, which causes new conditions. If you take a prescription or OTC, plus read on, it’s important to your future health!
Two Popular Prescriptions Reviewed: To illustrate just how serious this is, let’s review the cause and effect of some popular medications:
1). Oral Contraceptives: Deplete B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, selenium, zinc, amino acid tyrosine and folic acid.
Deficiency Effects: Folic acid deficiencies can create: anemia, depression, increased risk for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, birth defects and cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous condition causing hundreds of thousands of women a year to have a hysterectomy. Many of these surgeries may have been prevented simply by having the right amount of Folic Acid. Other drugs known to deplete folic acid include: anti-ulcer medications, antibiotics, anti-diabetes medications, anti-inflammatory drugs and OTC antacids and aspirin.
2). Heartburn and Anti-ulcer Medications are the largest selling drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. These drugs work to lower the amount of stomach acid associated with ulcers, heartburn and acid indigestion. When you lower the important acidic process in the GI tract, these medications inhibit the absorption of minerals and vitamins (so you become deficient in many areas). The H2 class of blockers have been shown to deplete D3, B12, folic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc and calcium.
Deficiency Effects: Vitamin D3: Depression, anxiety, fatigue, dementia, hearing loss, lowered immunity and this vitamin plays the important role, along with the K vitamins in the absorption of calcium, which can cause osteoporosis, tooth decay and brittle bones. Calcium depletion includes bone health, tooth decay, heart and blood pressure and osteoporosis. The depletion of iron can result in brittle nails, anemia, hair loss and can make you feel week, fatigued and have low energy.
The Simple Way to Balance Deficiencies
The list goes on with over a thousand drugs that are on the market. My point isn’t that all drugs are bad, in fact there are miraculous drugs that can be life-saving. The point is that one needs to understand a drugs’ full effect and review its risks versus benefits. There are also many conditions which can have safe alternatives through diet and nutrition.
One way to view your risks, review alternatives and to address these deficiencies is through a new on-line interactive smart tool from Village Green called IQYOU. It’s free, so I encourage everyone to use it Click Here>>. It empowers you with knowledge to take specific actions. If you’re able to target and address these deficiencies that lead to ill-health, you’ll have more energy, remain healthier and dramatically reduce your future risk for chronic conditions like those illustrated above.