New Delhi: Everyday medications meant to heal could be stealthily depleting vital nutrients from your body, warns nutritionist Dr Garima Goyal, potentially triggering fatigue, weakened immunity, bone fragility, and other insidious ailments often misattributed to lifestyle or age.
In a startling Instagram post, Dr Goyal reveals how prolonged use of common drugs disrupts the absorption of nutrients. Aspirin, for instance, hampers vitamin C uptake and erodes iron reserves; the ASPREE trial revealed a 20% heightened anaemia risk in seniors on low-dose (100 mg) daily regimens.
Pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) diminish glutathione — the body’s master antioxidant — jeopardising liver health and accelerating ageing, diabetes, and infections. Birth control pills disrupt multiple essentials: folic acid, B vitamins (B2, B6, and B12), C, E, magnesium, selenium, and zinc, going by WHO reports, sometimes necessitating supplements due to hormonal interference.
Diabetes staple metformin blocks intestinal vitamin B12 absorption, inviting nerve damage. Antacids, by neutralising stomach acid, impede B12 release alongside calcium, potassium, and zinc, fostering brittle bones and lax muscles. Statins slash coenzyme Q10, essential for muscle energy, causing pain and inflammation. Antibiotics ravage beneficial gut bacteria, inviting obesity, allergies, and digestive woes. Steroids upset mineral harmony, curbing calcium and vitamin D, depleting magnesium and potassium, and sapping B vitamins, leading to cramps, exhaustion, and nerve issues.
Dr Goyal urges consulting physicians or dieticians for tailored supplements if you are on long-term therapy. These precautions can avert nutrient deficits masquerading as unrelated health crises, ensuring medicines mend without menacing your core vitality.