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Thursday, November 2, 2017

BEWARE OF MEDICINES.

BEWARE OF MEDICINES
(Source: News paper Times of India)
     Chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases affect more than 20% of the country’s population today. Medication plays a pivotal role in the effective management of these chronic conditions. However many of these drugs can interfere with the availability of the nutrients in your body, because they impair body’s ability to effectively absorb nutrients from food or cause it unintentionally to excrete certain nutrients. Taking these drugs for a long period can lead to nutritional deficiencies with side effects. Hence individuals who take these drugs may look forward to a less stressful and taxing disease management experience. The following suggestions may please be considered while taking different kinds of medicines.
METFORMIN:
Metformin is a popular ingredient in several diabetic drugs and is well known for its efficacy. It works by disrupting the process of digestion to regulate the body’s blood sugar levels. In doing so, however it also depletes the body’s sources of vitamin B12, folic acid and coenzyme Q10. This causes weakness and tiredness, and a tingling sensation in the patients’ hand and feet. Diabetic pillow feet or numbness in the patients’ feet is actually caused by reduced sensitivity brought about by nutritional deficiencies. Patients may be unable to feel the temperature differences, for instance Jayaraman, medical researcher, therapist and health advisor and co founder of health platform Sepalika, explains. “B12 deficiencies can cause memory loss and brain fogging, and elevate homocysteine levels, thereby increasing the risk for heart disease,” adds Dr. Monica Goel, a consultant physician.
     The function of coQ10 is to help enzymes to function effectively in the body. It is especially important to facilitate the production of energy in the muscles and cells. Dr. Barmare explains. “Co10 is required by the mitochondria of the cells of our body for oxidation. A deficiency of this coenzyme can therefore cause weakness, malaise and lethargy.” Jayaraman adds.
Fix it: Dietician and nutritionist Kashish Alimchandani recommends, “Eat more eggs, milk, cheese, diary products, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry as they are rich sources of vitamin B12. To get your requirement of folic acid, eat green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and for coQ10 eat organ meats, peanuts and sesame seeds.”
DIURETICS:
Also called water pills, diuretics increase urine production in the kidneys, and cause salts and fluids to be eliminated from the body. Diuretics are used to treat the conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure and liver cirrhosis, which cause fluid retention. They also help to lower blood pressure and are hence used in the treatment of hypertension. “Diuretics interfere with the body’s electrolyte balance. In doing so, they cause deficiencies of sodium, zinc, potassium and calcium. This can lead to symptoms such as muscle pain and arrhythmia. They can also cause a deficiency of pyridoxine, which is important for nerve health. Pyridoxine depletion can lead to neuropathic pain,” says Dr. Goel.
     Dr. Barmare adds, “Consuming diuretics over a period of time can cause weakness, lethargy, arrhythmia and even a higher chance of cardiac arrest.”
Fix it: Step up your intake of zinc by eating more seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs legumes, nuts, seeds and soy products for zinc. Include avocado, spinach, sweet potato, salmon, pomegranate, coconut water and banana in your diet for potassium; and diary, spinach, okra and fatty fish for calcium. For pyridoxine and vitamin B6, eat fortified cereals, beans, poultry, fish, leafy green vegetables, papaya and orange.
GLYBURIDE:
Glyburide is an oral, glucose lowering drug used in the treatment of diabetes. Glyburide reduces glucose in the blood by stimulating pancreas to produce more insulin. Dr. Barmare says, “Patients being treated with glyburide are often deficient in vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.”
Fix it: Eat more eggs, milk, cheese, dairy products, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry for vitamin B12; dairy, spinach, okra and fatty fish for calcium; green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains for magnesium; fatty fish, cheese, egg yolk for vitamin D and have regular morning walk.
PAIN MEDICATION:
Individuals often suffering from chronic pain are often prescribed pain killers such as ibuprofen, which reduce the hormones causing pain and inflammation in the body, However, Jayaraman says, long term consumption of these medicines can interfere with the body’s absorption of folic acid, increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease and anemia. It also leads to birth defects in pregnant women. Dr. Goel adds, “Taking the medication for longer periods than advised can lead to stomach ulcers or even renal failure.”
Fix it: Alimchandani says, “Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and beans.”
ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES:
 These are prescribed to women for family planning purposes as well as to those suffering from PCOD. Oral contraceptives can interfere with body’s absorption of magnesium, folic acid and entire vitamin B family. Dr. Barmare says, “When used for more than a year, they can cause symptoms of depression and sleep disturbances, and also affect the state of the patient’s teeth and eyes. Deficiency of zinc causes slow wound healing, lowered immunity and a loss of smell and taste.”
Fix it:  You can replenish folic acid by consuming green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and beans; for magnesium, eat green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains; for all B vitamins, dine on fortified cereals, beans, poultry, fish, leafy green vegetables, papaya, orange, milk, eggs, spinach, broccoli, peanuts and lentils.
STATINS:
Recommended for patients with high cholesterol, satin drugs are a means to control heart disease. Jayaraman says, “They are required to be taken for a life time and the dose usually goes up overtime unless you make drastic life style changes. All cholesterol lowering agents are known to lower the body’s reserves of coQ10.” Dr. Goel adds, “CoQ10 is essential for muscle activity, especially the pumping of the heart. Deficiencies of coQ10 can hamper heart and muscle health.”
Fix it: “Eat organ meats, peanuts, sesame seeds, and soybean, corn and olive oil for coQ10,” says Alimchandani.
PROTON-PUMP INHIBITORS:
If you suffer from severe acidity problems, you have likely been prescribed proton-pump inhibitor. These reduce the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid – they also cause deficiencies of magnesium, calcium and zinc in your body. They also reduce your body’s ability to absorb vitamins belonging to the entire B family as well as iron. Dr. Barmare advises, “Vitamin B12 deficiencies can cause weakness, confusion, lethargy and anemia especially for vegetarians. Calcium deficiencies can cause bone pain and an increased incidence of fracture, especially in the elderly. They can also lead to arrhythmia. Magnesium deficiencies cause weakness and elevated blood pressure.”
Fix it: Alimchandani recommends eggs, milk, cheese, dairy products, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry for vitamin B12. “For calcium eat dairy, spinach, okra and fatty fish and for magnesium eat green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.”
CORTICOSTEROIDS:
Prescribed for patients suffering from arthritis and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, corticosteroids bring about deficiencies calcium, vitamin B3, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Jayaraman says, “This can lead to side effects such as high blood pressure, headaches, muscle weakness, thinning and easy bruising of skin, slow wound healing, glaucoma, stomach ulcers and menstrual irregularities.”
Fix it: Have more poultry, fish, peanuts and lentils for vitamin B3; diary, spinach, lady’s finger and fish for calcium;  sea food, lean meat and poultry, eggs, legumes and seeds (also for magnesium), and soy product for zinc; avocado, spinach, sweet potato, salmon, pomegranate, coconut water and banana for potassium; leafy vegetables and whole grains for magnesium.
A WORD OF CAUTION:

“Patients must learn to initiate conversation with their doctors asking them about possible nutritional depletion, and ask for a dietary and supplementation plan to gradually reintroduce these nutrients into the body,” Jayaraman says. Dr. Goel emphasizes, “While physicians do take steps to balance nutritional depletion caused by certain drugs by also recommending a supplementation plan, patients must do their bit by consuming a wholesome diet.” Dr. Barmare advises against self medication to compensate for these nutritional depletions. “By self medicating, patients are at risk of consuming insufficient doses for insufficient periods of time. This could either fail to replenish the deficiency or alternately cause them to ingest higher amounts of nutrients than their body needs.”