One of the best examples of this are with the prescriptions commonly used to treat Metabolic Syndrome, a condition that affects 1 in 4 Americans. Metabolic Syndrome is actually of cluster of problems which if left untreated leads to heart disease and diabetes. One of the big indicators of metabolic syndrome is the presence of belly fat – if your waist is bigger than your hips, this is a sign of insulin resistance, a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Often this will be accompanied by blood sugar that is trending high (above 100 mg/dl) and or high triglycerides (150 mg/dl or higher.) Also if your blood pressure is elevated, this can be related to insulin resistance. The final indicator of metabolic syndrome is elevated LDL and low HDL[1]. Having at least three of these conditions is considered full blown metabolic syndrome. If this sounds like you, then you have a ticking time bomb that can lead you to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes[2], cancer, Alzheimer’s and a host of other conditions. Here is the problem – if you have been ignoring the needed diet and exercise changes or haven’t even been told you need to make them, you will end up on prescriptions to manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and for managing blood sugar. Hydrochlorthiazide: Many times, this diuretic is the first step in managing blood pressure. This drug has been shown to deplete Magnesium, Zinc, Sodium, and Coenzyme Q10[3] from your body. These pills leaving the pharmacy will warn that the drug can lower potassium and will even advise to eat a banana or drink a glass of orange juice with the medication (just what someone who is insulin resistant needs, High glycemic carbs!) However, there is no warning for the other nutrients that are depleted.
Some signs of magnesium insufficiency:
When these symptoms pop up sometimes a year or more after the medication is taken, you don’t realize it is related to the drug that you are currently taking. Many experts believe that normal serum level checking for magnesium is not an accurate check of total magnesium needs. This is a summary of just one of the nutrients that are depleted by one of the medications that are commonly prescribed. Statin medications for cholesterol, oral antidiabetic agents and other blood pressure medication can also create other significant nutrient depletions that could have a big impact on your health.
What can you do: Find out what nutrients are being depleted from the drugs that you are on and take steps to replenish these nutrients in your body. Look for magnesium glycinate, amino acid chelate or citrate. Consider taking 600mg per day in divided doses. The worse thing that can happen is that you get a loose stool and if that happens simply reduce the dose. If you have metabolic syndrome start exercising. Evidence is showing that if you weight train and do cardiovascular training you will have double the effect on managing your blood glucose then either method alone[6]. Improve your diet, take control of your metabolism so that the need for drug therapy is minimized or hopefully eliminated.
[2] Wilson, Peter W.F., Agostino, Ralph B, et al: Metabolic Syndrome as a Precursor of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Circulation. 2005112:3006-3072 [3] Pelton, Ross LaValle, James et al: The Handbook on Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion ; Lexicomp 2001. [4] Longstreet, DA, Heath DL, Panaretto KS and Vink R, Correlations suggest low magnesium may lead to higher rates of type 2 diabetes in indigenous Australians: Rural Remote Health 2007, Oct-Dec;7(4). Epub2007 Oct 12 [5] Sharama A, Dabla S, Agrawal RP, et al, Serum magnesium: an early predictor of course and complication of diabetes mellitus: J Indian Med Assoc. 2007 Jan;105(1):16,18,20. [6] Sigal, Ronald et al: effects of Aerobic Training, Resistance Training, or Both on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:357-369 |
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One of the biggest issues related to the use of prescription drugs that continues to be ignored is drug induced nutrient depletions. Over the last decade I have written and co-authored four books and have lectured to health care professionals countless times on this terribly neglected topic. Drugs can alter the metabolism absorption and utilization of nutrients that your chemistry needs in order to maintain metabolic performance. If you are taking medication, find out what nutrients are being robbed from your body.
Approximately 75% of the U.S. population is low in magnesium to start with, so adding a drug to make magnesium status even lower can be very problematic. Why is magnesium so important? Low magnesium levels have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome[4][5]. Depletion of this nutrient therefore can exacerbate the very condition you are trying to prevent. So you start off controlling your blood pressure but because of the drug depletion it leads you to developing type 2 diabetes.
