Nutrient robbers

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

This thread is stickied, so that people can put up links to any drugs that they know of, which rob the body of nutrients. Over time, I hope it will be a resource so that people can use the search and find information on what they can do to help.

For example, statins which supposedly lower cholesterol and are supposed to reduce your chances of a heart attack, strip out magnesium and co-Q10; both of which are essential to protect the muscle strength and structure of the heart. How ironic is that? I will find the link to that sometime and add it here.

[Wonder-Full]

Here's one for corticosteroids (http://www.copd-international.com/Library/corticosteroids.htm) (prednisolone being the one we're dealing with).




Folic Acid - Some possible loss of this B Vitamin with corticosteroid use. Folic acid plays a role in cell division, and can reduce the risks of heart attacks and birth defects.

Magnesium - The loss of this essential nutrient mineral with corticosteroid use may be increased. Muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (the body's main energy module) may be effected. Some nutritional doctors suggest 3-400 mg of magnesium daily for long term use (over two weeks).

N-Acetyl CySteine (NAC) - one study indicated further improvement with 600mg - 3 times daily with prednisone for treatment of fibrosing alveolitis, a rare lung disease.

Potassium - Some possible increased loss in urine with corticosteroid use. This mineral plays a role in sodium balance, plus blood pressure control and hypertension. Since the loss is not significant for most people, it can usually be offset by using more potassium rich fruits, such as bananas. NOTE: Diuretic use combined with corticosteroid use may aggravate this loss considerably. Consult your health care provider for guidance regarding this.

Vitamin A - Corticosteroid use often results in impaired wound healing. One study indicated that 80% of the people treated with vitamin A had improved wound healing capabilities. Since theoretically, Vitamin A might also reverse some of the benefits of corticosteroids, definitely consult with your health care provider before starting Vitamin A supplements.

Vitamin B-6 Some possible increased loss is possible with corticosteroid use. This vitamin's principal uses are heart disease prevention, morning sickness, asthma and PMS. Some nutritional Doctors recommend 25-50mg daily replacement to prevent deficiency if using corticosteroids for long term (over 2 weeks).

Vitamin B-12 - Some increased loss is possible with corticosteroid use. The principal use is for pernicious anemia, with lesser possible influence for infertility, asthma, diabetic neuropathy, MS, depression, and osteoporosis. Also possibly needed for potassium deficiency. Consult your health care provider for guidance regarding this.
Calcium and Vitamin D - There is a reduction in the body's ability to activate Vitamin D when taking corticosteroids, thus increasing the risk of bone loss as well as cataracts. The list of other possible benefits of Calcium and Vitamin D is extensive ranging from cancer prevention to heart disease to mental conditions. People taking corticosteroids on a long term basis (2 or more weeks) should ask their health care provider to be tested for vitamin D deficiency and to possibly be put on calcium and vitamin D supplements. Note: Calcium is an essential nutrient that is obtainable only from foods and supplements.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) - Some studies have indicated that inhaled steroids (beclomethasone) may reduce levels of DHEA in women. This may provide a possible clue to a contributing factor to osteoporosis, but this needs much more research.
Melatonin - Further research is needed (especially for long term use), however, early indications are that a high percentage of people show a reduction in the production of melatonin.
Selenium - -Corticosteroids may cause some possible loss of this trace mineral which has antioxidant implications.
Sodium - - Corticosteroid use causes sodium retention in the body. Consult your health care provider for guidance regarding the restricting of salt intake.
Zinc - - - -Corticosteroids may cause some possible loss of this important element which supports the functioning of over 300 enzymes.
Other Information - Corticosteroids increase the urinary loss of Vitamin K and Vitamin C. Although the significance of this is unclear, you should consult your Health Care Provider about these if you are taking corticosteroids for 2 or more weeks.


Haven't yet figured out how to counteract all of this yet, aside from a general multi-vitamin and other naturally occuring vitamins (ie cod liver oil for A and D, vitamin C, sunlight for D, nutrient rich diet including heaps of fruit, veges and nuts).

[Serephina]

Statins are evil :mad:

The contraceptive pill is also a common one and causes a range of nutritional deficiencies. Zinc, folic acid, vitamin C, B vitamins, selenium and magnesium are the ones that immediately come to mind. Also consider that the pill also has negative effects on intestinal flora which is vital to our immune system.

For those needing an alternative to hormonal contraception look into Natural Fertility Management (NOT the rhythm method!).

[magical1]

SOY

Stops absorbtion of essential minerals for brain function ie zinc and magnesium. When you think about how much soy goes into processed food, makes you realise why most of the population are so easily brainwashed. Stay away from the stuff at all costs.

[Ayla]

The contraceptive pill is also a common one and causes a range of nutritional deficiencies. Zinc, folic acid, vitamin C, B vitamins, selenium and magnesium are the ones that immediately come to mind. Also consider that the pill also has negative effects on intestinal flora which is vital to our immune system.

References please :D Would like to pass that on,tia.

[Ayla]

SOY

Stops absorbtion of essential minerals for brain function ie zinc and magnesium. When you think about how much soy goes into processed food, makes you realise why most of the population are so easily brainwashed. Stay away from the stuff at all costs.

fak,is that true for fermented soy tho?

[Serephina]

References please :D Would like to pass that on,tia.

Francesca Naish's books (Natural Fertility, Natural way to better babies) have some really detailed information on the side effects of the pill.

There's also a fair bit on pubmed. Here's one for starters :D

Nutritional effects of oral contraceptive use: a review (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7001015?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed)

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Dr Ellen Grant's two books on the pill (she did the original studies) called "Sexual Chemistry" and "The Bitter Pill" both detail everything you've said Seraphina.

Ellen Grant has done some pretty powerful E-responses on the BMJ as well.

[Serephina]

Thanks for that MT, I'll put her books on my "to read" list. Just wish I'd known this stuff before subjecting my body to that rubbish.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

yes, so do I. I just believed the docs when they said that it was a good thing to do.... :chair:

[Serephina]

Me too. The most frustrating thing is my GP is well aware of the Billings method, in fact she used it to conceive her two children :bangshead:

[Wonder-Full]

Interestingly, all those robbed nutrients from the pill are ones i'm now furiously putting back in at the moment. I haven't been on the pill for about 8yrs now and seems I'm probably still suffering when you throw in giving birth to two children, both were breastfed and the usual stress...

Oh I have that Franscesca Naish book and used it to conceive the kids - must have a re-read actually, it might help sort out what to do about my short cycle and then get back into charting to not-conceive.

[magical1]

Ayla

soy info for you to make up your own mind...my take is fermented is ok but in moderation

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

This is the best site in the world on the dangers of soy:

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/

Isn't it funny that when these people say:


How could anyone get away with this?


The answer is simple, given the soy industry (http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/05soypolitics.htm) is one of the world's most wealthy and powerful multi-billion dollar industries.

... that's okay. But if anyone says that about the vaccine industry, whose aim is a captive audience of every person on the face of the earth, they are accused of being a "conspiracy theorist"... :rolleyes:

[Nirvana]

My OB told me taking the pill would be the best gift ever! Yeah right...it included weight gain, headache, crankiness etc. I took it for almost a year. Shame on her and big shame on me for trusting her explicitly.:eyeroll:

Tofu is soy right? Gosh....it's a craze with some people I know.

[cartersmom]

Thanks for that MT, I'll put her books on my "to read" list. Just wish I'd known this stuff before subjecting my body to that rubbish.


Good Lord me too. I was on the pill for 15 years without a break before I went off of it. I must be more of a mess inside then I originally thought :(

[Aviendha]

Within 2 months of going on the pill for the one and only time in my life, I had a major psychotic episode. It was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life. It was then I decided it really wasn't a very good idea.. just lucky I didn't kill myself or anyone else while I was on it.

Both Caffine and alcohol cause acidity in the blood. The body tries to counter-act it by leaching calcium and magnesium out of your bones. I know these are prescribed drugs, but are drugs none the less. I will go find a link, I only have a paper copy in one of James Chestnuts books.

[deesalie]

http://www.healthnotes.info/uk_db/healthnotes.cfm?ContentID=1266002 References are here.

Omeprazole is a member of the proton pump inhibitor family of drugs, which blocks production of stomach acid. Omeprazole is used to treat diseases in which stomach acid causes damage, including gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, erosive esophagitis, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Calcium
In a study of elderly women, administration of omeprazole decreased the absorption of calcium,1 presumably because the drug decreased the stomach's production of hydrochloric acid, which is necessary for calcium absorption. The form of calcium used in the study to test calcium absorption was calcium carbonate. Drugs that reduce stomach acid secretion may not inhibit other forms of calcium, such as calcium citrate.2

Folic acid
Folic acid is needed by the body to utilise vitamin B12. Antacids, including omeprazole, inhibit folic acid absorption.3 People taking antacids are advised to supplement with folic acid.

Vitamin B12
Omeprazole interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12 from food (though not from supplements) in some4 5 6 7 but not all8 9 studies. A true deficiency state, resulting in vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia, has only been reported in one case.10 The fall in vitamin B12 status may result from the decrease in stomach acid required for vitamin B12 absorption from food caused by the drug.11 This problem may possibly be averted by drinking acidic juices when eating foods containing vitamin B12.12

However, all people taking omeprazole need to either supplement with vitamin B12 or have their vitamin B12 status checked on a yearly basis. Even relatively small amounts of vitamin B12 such as 10–50 mcg per day, are likely to protect against drug induced vitamin depletion.

Vitamin C
Treatment of healthy volunteers with omeprazole for four weeks resulted in a 12.3% decrease in blood levels of vitamin C.13

[Spy]

Not a drug but probably even worse - what do we know about artificial sweeteners in terms of specific nutrients robbed?

[justine]

I give my kids soy milk all the time and they are pretty bright.

Justine

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Problem is soy bombs in the immune system, amongst other potential issues:

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/

[Sandra17]

I would love areference for the statins blocking magnesium and co-q10, please.

[justine]

Stay away from the stuff at all costs.

I cant understand it I give my son 4 and DD 5 Sanitarium soy milk and they are strong as ox's. If they do pick up a bug they just shrug it off.

Oh well.

Love,
Justine.

[3monkeys]

I have also been told by various people (homeopaths etc) to NOT give the kids soy milk.

Justine, are your children dairy intolerant. My children aren't but my oldest has urinary incontinence, and I found changing from homogensied A1 milk to unhomogneised A2 milk made a HUGE difference.

[justine]

I found that my sons ear infections slowed down when we put him on soy milk at 18 mths (BF for 1 year). I must have rethink. I have been off dairy now for 5 years and now even if i smell a glass of cows milk I feel like vomiting. My DD wants to be like me.

OK as always, Lots to think about. Thanks for the advice.

Justine.

[3monkeys]

What nutrients would chicken pox strip? I have had a quick look in google world and pubmed but havent really found anything. I will have a proper look later when the kids are in bed. A friends daughter is getting over them and has no energy. She is giving a childs multi vit once a day and I have told her thats nowhere near enough, but have no idea what to suggest. Any knowledge I could share would be apprecaited.

[MinorityView]

Well, it is viral, so Vitamin A would be helpful.

[3monkeys]

found this

the bold bit is for the benefit of my friends whose daughter is fatigued every afternoon.

http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/homeremedies-chickenpox.htm

Because chickenpox will affect the immune system, you should add Vitamin A, D, E, and K to your daily supplemental [censored: naughty words are not allowed here]
. The vitamins are fat-soluble or lipid-soluble. The vitamins can help improve the digestion system by stimulating the bile and pancreatic lipase to breakdown and assimilate other vitamins.

Since chickenpox affects the nerve cells, you may want to add some vitamin B-12 to your [censored: naughty words are not allowed here]. Vitamin B-12 will make a nice supplement plan, since it supports the growth of red blood cells, appetite, and growth. Vitamin B-12 is also used to treat conditions that affect the nervous system. Vitamin B-12 is found in eggs, fish, meats, dairy products, and animal-based foodstuff. To prevent deficiencies it is recommended that you take 1,000 micrograms daily. Vitamin B-12 can cause pernicious anemia, which is a condition characterized by fatigue, low red blood cell count, and neurological complications. Take the vitamin as recommended. When you take Vitamin B-12 as recommended, you reap many benefits. This is one of the good chicken pox treatment.
The benefits discovered: Taking vitamins as recommended offers you many benefits, e.g. proper dosage of vitamin B-12 can improve your metabolism, which promotes energy and red blood cell formation. Vitamin B-12 will also improve your amino acid metabolic and proteins. Now that you found the natural remedies for chickenpox, it is time to go online to find the vitamins your body needs to heal naturally! (http://www.essortment.com/all/chickenpoxinfo_rqwt.htm#)

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

What nutrients would chicken pox strip? I have had a quick look in google world and pubmed but havent really found anything. I will have a proper look later when the kids are in bed. A friends daughter is getting over them and has no energy. She is giving a childs multi vit once a day and I have told her thats nowhere near enough, but have no idea what to suggest. Any knowledge I could share would be apprecaited.

I'd be getting out that juicer.....

[3monkeys]

I will tell her :) Our juicer never goes away. AND, bonus, I told a friend that I had juicer scraps for her chooks so now we have a juicer scrap - egg trade going on. Loving it.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Our chooks LOVE the scraps....

[3monkeys]

Thats what made me offer them to them :) I remember you saying that. And we use our juicer daily.

[Sandra17]

MT do you have a reference for the effect of statins please? I have a neighbour in desperate need of it. Many thanks, Sandra

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Right now, my Cholesterol and Statin material is out on loan. Also, if someone is "desperate" that might indicate serious problems. Possibly rhetorical questions. What are those problems. This is a huge subject, and the type of the problem is crucial, for instance:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/rk55j05541557839/

It's not just a matter of slinging references around, when if you don't know what the actual issue, is, the references might be redundant.

Also, if n is desperate, and if n has internet, n should be researching this him/herself. If n doesn't have internet, the library would help n. Here are some starting guidelines.

Your desperate neighbour should be able to find the information in two ways:

1) putting Statins block magnesium and Co-Q10 into google

2) Put Statins magnesium Co-Q 10 in Google Scholar.

3) go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez and put in Magnesium acts as a statin. The article that it brings up is free. Then click on See all related articles. If you put in Statins CoQ10, you will see that there is raging debate over what to do about the fact that Statins downregulate co Q 10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19409711 is an example. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18949825 is another. But n needs to find more, read them and understand them. If n is not prepared to do that work or contine after you've started it, then it's time to back off. because if n isn't prepared to do the slog work, no won't be able to stand up to ignorant pressurizing doctor who hasn't done that work either, but just believes pharma drug touters :D

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

http://www.douglaslabs.com.tr/images/nutrinews/1725411021.pdf

[Seaweed]

I saw something somewhere which I will try to dig out later if I remember that chloresterol helps our skin make vitamin D so statins interefere with this process. I didn't check the references or even read it more than in passing as it is not overly relevant to us right now but it would be something else to look into.

[Sandra17]

Thanks MT. My neighbour has some rare kind of arthritis (which I need her to write down for me but sounded like ethero myalgia) which involves her body not regulating heat. As a child and up to her fifties, she had Raynards (sp) syndrome and had very cold, blue extremities and then in her sixties (now) she started to experience quite the opposite. She has read up carefully on her ethero myalgia diagnosis and been prepared to challenge her two doctors on their suggestions (they hadn't heard of it until she saw the rheumatologist and came back with the information).

She is very keen to try new approachs as it is impeding her usually active lifestyle a lot. So I was raging about big pharma as I do and gave the example of cholesterol lowering drugs. Which it turns out she is on and they lowered her cholesterol count from 6.2 to 3 and she has said can't she get off them and they say no, that she will need to be on them for the rest of her life. Which rang big alarm bells and when I offered to get her some information she was very keen.

I appreciate your help. It's an opportunity for me to get my knowledge clearer and keep a record of the articles. It's an auto-immune problem (the ethero myalgia) and there are only about 960 different things to learn and re-learn on building the immune system up in my experience.

[Sandra17]

Thanks seaweed. We cross-posted. More and more interesting things on vitamin d every day. I'm totally happy with my children having tanned skin and infrequent baths this summer.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Statins can turn you into a zombie, and have many side effects, so she needs to research them as well.

[Seaweed]

When you say her usually active lifestyle, do you mean she is exercise active or social active?

[Sandra17]

When you say her usually active lifestyle, do you mean she is exercise active or social active?

She isn't doing longer walks anymore because of the foot pain, but is doing aquajogging instead. She is a person usually out and about enjoying life, e.g. doing her garden, working, spending time with family and friends. She gave up smoking about 12 months ago.

I'm having a look at the moment for foods/nutrients which are good for helping the body regulate heat. I've printed her off some info on the statins (her computer has just broken so sending links not much good). That stuff is so powerful and convincing that it will indicate how keen for change she is pretty fast as to whether she throws the tablets away. But they have even put her on antidepressants to ease the pain (though she has no mental/emotional depression problems). She is going to have to relook at her relationship with her doctor before she even gets to dietary changes.

[Seaweed]

I quite like this site here http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ which would be appealing if she is more physically active. If you chuck statins in the search box some interesting things come up.

[betach]

for some reason when i tried to access the link for soy that MT mentioned, it didnt work for me, both times.
does it still work?
thanks.

[betach]

Just wanted to mention, I noticed something posted on this thread in my name, that I dont recall posting-- especially at the date that it showed it was posted at.... hmm. I could have hit a few keys accidentally, which activated some shortcut???
anyways, hope that such occurance wont happen again, cuz who knows what can be copied and pasted :( !

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Hmmm. seems the website might have bit the dust...

That's a shame.

I'll scout around.