Is That Over-The-Counter Medication Really Your Safest Option?
Medications, pills, ointments, powders, and anything else we use to heal ourselves, are ingested to make us feel better in an otherwise hopeless moment. However, unbeknownst to the masses that seemingly hand over their health to these medications, these pills and creams are actually robbing you of the nutrients they claim to be restoring.
Many of the side effects that even the most basic over-the-counter medications have, are often worse than the ailment they are taken to help cure in the first place. Much of this is due to the fact that the medications come with a number of chemicals, ingredients and reactions in the body that work against the natural overall function of the immune system.
Roughly half of the drugs approved in the United States today, actually deplete a number of specific nutrients, which is why the majority of the U.S. population is taking some form of supplement on a daily basis.
One of the most common ways that these medications take away from the body's good health, is by taking ahold of the already stored nutrients in the body, and taking them out of vital areas. This is mainly done in the gastrointestinal tract and the blood stream. Some pills have the ability to alter the acidity in the gastrointestinal or urinary tract, and even make the enzymes that help with nutrient development and transportation, become stagnant altogether.
Here's a list of some of the more common drugs guilty of stealing nutrients from your body:
Cholesterol Medications
Statins like atorvastatin and pravastatin are already a key contributor in heart health issues, and they are also known to take a decent amount of your stored vitamin D. Many who are on statins as a regular part of treatment for cholesterol, are also diagnosed with depression or anxiety due to the lack of vitamin D in their bodies, only made so low because of the drug they are taking for the cholesterol.
Acid Blockers
These medications work by reducing the amount of dangerous acid in the stomach. As good as this is for gut health, it's not so great in the way of the magnesium levels in the body. These drugs are dangerous, and take so much of the minerals in the body, that they come with a heavy warning on the bottles. Lowered amounts of magnesium are connected to mood, blood pressure, brain function and liver production.
Thyroid Medications
The zinc-stealing properties that these medications come with, are a dangerous side effect to helping regulate thyroid function. Poor zinc production means you can easily start to gain weight, develop hypothyroidism and drastically alter your mood.
