Vital Nutrient and Vitamin Deficiencies from Our Foods and Medicines
Published: May 11, 2011
I just returned from a great nutrition and age management seminar last week, and I have much to share here and in many future articles! Our bodies are what we eat, drink, and take in. For ourselves and our children I will highlight sources of nutrient and vitamin deficiencies in our diet and medicines, and what to do to correct them.
The five basic essentials of life are:
water
good food & nutrients
exercise
sleep
prayer & faith
Major hazards of our American diet are refined “enriched” flour (taking off the wheat germ leads to many vitamin deficiancies that are not corrected by “enriching”), poor and unnatural fats (we need a healthy balance of fats, including a good balance of omega 3 and 6), and high fructose corn syrup (this is very concentrated sugar not found in nature and very inflammatory and harmful to our bodies).
Solutions to these hazards are to eat healthy whole grains, plenty or healthy vegetables and fruits (preferably raw, not processed, and steamed when desired), plenty of legumes (beans and lentils), low fat protein and meat (fish and organic range free chicken and turkey and dairy), and avoid high fructose corn syrup. A Mediterranean diet is the healthiest (see my article on the Mediterranean diet under the Diet and Nutrition category). Even with a healthy diet, supplements are vital due to the lack of nutrients in our soils, over farming, and the need of plenty omega 3 fatty acids. Also, be careful in your food preparation – microwaves and barbeques over cook and change the proper healthy nature of your food.
All children and adults require…
a well absorbed quality multivitamin (must get this from us in our Orthomolecular Alphabase or from a good health food, because all the ones elsewhere you just poop out!), omega 3 supplement (best with our Orthomolecular Alpha Omega which is well tested for heavy metals, and we will soon carry a smaller version for children), extra Vitamin D 3, and an active healthy gut bacteria Probiotic (one with at least 5-7 different bacteria, such as our Orthomolecular 7 Good Bacteria). There are many other supplements many people need such as good and well absorbed Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, CoQ-10, Zinc, B complex vitamins, Vitamin E. Please have your yearly physical or well child visit to discuss what is best for you!
Every medicine we ingest will deplete our bodies of certain nutrients, based on the mechanism of the medicine’s action in our bodies. We must work on the above 5 basic essentials of life to minimize our need for medicines. Below are a list of several common medicines, and the nutrients they deplete. You can visit www.askdrdesilva.com for information on other medicine you may be taking. Dr. DeSilva gave an excellent talk at my conference on this subject.
Antibiotics – deplete the good gut flora by killing off the bad and good gut bacteria, so a good Probiotic should be taken
alternatives are Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Peppermint, Ginger, Deglycrrhized licorice
over 60% of our immune fighting function is in our gut, and a healthy gut flora is essential for this (I will write future articles on this)!
Anti-Depressants – deplete B vitamins necessary for seratonin production, CoQ-10, and their use requires more Omega 3 and Vitamin D
Arthritis Medicines/NSAIDS – deplete folic acid, Vitamin C, Iron and Amino Acids (our needed proteins)
alternatives to these can be Glucosamine & Chondroitin (our Chondroflex 3 a day is excellent), Fish oils (up to 4000mg/day of EPA/DHA), Feverfew, Curcumin
Aspirin – depletes Vitamin C, B vitamins, Iron, Amino Acids
Beta Blockers (for blood pressure and heart) – deplete CoQ-10 (this is a vital enzyme for power production especially in heart and other muscles and our brain, and depletion can cause fatigue and increase asthma and allergies)
Cholesterol Drugs – significantly and quickly deplete CoQ-10
Diabetic Medicines – often deplete CoQ-10 an dB vitamins
Diuretics/Water Pills – deplete folic acid B vitamin and other B vitamins (which can lead to fatigue, anemia, birth defects, depression, anxiety, ?heart disease), CoQ-10, Calcium & Magnesium & Potassium (depletion can cause fatigue, heart rhythm problems, muscle cramps, and more), Zinc (depletion can slow wound healing, impair smell/tastes/immune system), Sodium (depletion impairs the body fluid balance)
Ulcer Medicines – causes malabsorption and depletion of many nutrients because of the altered pH in the stomach (like B vitamins, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and more)
The moral of this? Be aware that vital nutrients are lost in medicine use. Work on the 5 essentials, try to avoid medicines, and daily take your basic supplements… You can do it and transform yourself into a new creation! :)
My hugs and prayers for you and your family,
Dr. Lisa
“…in Christ you are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2Cor.5:13
