Are you feeling run down with no get up and go? Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you feel like you can’t focus? Is your acne, psoriasis, eczema getting worse and you’ve tried every topical remedy out there? Is your brain in a fog; do your anxiety and depression seem to be taking over? Is your weight creeping up and you can’t seem to lose those stubborn pounds no matter what you do? There might be hidden nutrient deficiencies underlying your symptoms.
We think we’re eating right and taking the right supplements for our health, but do we really know what we need, and how much, and the quality of the product we’re putting into our bodies? Let’s look at some factors you need to keep in mind if you have nagging symptoms dragging your health down.
We may think that our abundant access to food prevents nutritional deficiencies. Let’s face it, our food supply is subpar and we’re not getting the nutrients from our diet that we used to. Approximately 92 percent of the population is suffering from at least one mineral or vitamin deficiency based on the Dietary Reference Intakes. The entire country is overfed and undernourished. Even if you consume a “perfect” diet, more often than not, something is missing. These missing nutrients can cause a long list of symptoms that include everything from joint pain to respiratory problems, food allergies to thyroid issues, dry eyes to oily skin.
Nutrient deficiencies also contribute to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel disease, kidney disease, and cancer.
Should we throw multivitamins at the problem and call it a day? If this approach worked, then most of us would be feeling great without the use of medications and without suffering from debilitating chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, multivitamins are not a panacea for our health problems, and could actually contribute to our failing health. Research has consistently failed to show a benefit to multivitamin supplements because many are full of cheap and toxic fillers that can create a burden on our bodies and slow it down.
Importance of Nutrients
The body requires optimal vitamins and minerals for thousands of cellular functions. These include promoting a healthy digestive system; properly eliminating toxins; assisting folate metabolism and cardiovascular health; supporting the production and utilization of neurotransmitters; assisting hormonal regulation; reducing inflammation; protecting the mitochondria (power house of the cell); and so much more.
Causes of Nutritional Deficiencies and Absorption
Nutritional deficiencies occur for many reasons. The primary reasons include:
1 Lifestyle and Environment
The standard American diet consists mainly of processed foods and convenient fast foods that generally have very little to no nutritional value. Depletion of certain nutrients can impact the metabolism of environmental toxins like lead, mercury, and phthalates, all of which can contribute to the disruption of endocrine and brain functioning.
2 Gut Health and Food Sensitivities
Over 70% of our immune system is in our gut; thus, when our gut health is compromised our immune system is compromised, and this leads to many autoimmune diseases. The gut also plays a major role in nutrient absorption — you are only as good as the nutrition you absorb. Bottom line: when the gut is not healthy, the immune system is on red alert, which can result in food allergies and sensitivities that cause further nutrient absorption issues.
3 Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion
Nearly 50% of American adults are taking one drug on a regular basis and 20% take three or more. Our increasing reliance on prescription medications has contributed to the growing problem with nutrient depletion. The truth is that every medication, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, depletes your body of specific vital nutrients. This is especially concerning when you consider that most Americans are already suffering from nutrient depletion. Most often we’re told that symptoms arising from nutrient depletion are simply “part of the illness” or just signs that we’re “getting older.” To make matters worse, we are often prescribed more medications to address the symptoms arising from drug-induced nutrient depletion, further compounding the problem.
Some medications that cause nutrient depletion may surprise you. Many people take statin drugs (atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin) to help lower cholesterol. Statins deplete the body of CoQ10, a valuable nutrient used to make cellular energy. As a result, potential side effects may include heart failure, mood swings, depression, fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, and impotence.
Medications for heartburn, peptic ulcers, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) such as antacids (Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids), histamine-2 receptor antagonists (cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine), and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) (Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix) all reduce stomach acid and can interfere with nutrient absorption. Both PPIs and H-2 blockers significantly increase the risk of B-12 deficiency in the elderly. B-12 requires adequate gastric acid for absorption. Lack of stomach acid also decreases the absorption of folic acid, iron, and zinc. A study showed that high doses of PPIs used for one year or longer could make people 2.5 times more susceptible to hip fracture. The heightened risk of osteoporosis is probably due to the drastic drop in calcium and vitamin D absorption that occurs with these drugs.
Diabetes medications like metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glucovance) help reduce insulin resistance and enhance the action of insulin, allowing glucose to enter cells and improve blood glucose levels. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that diabetics on metformin had B12 levels that were less than half that of the control subjects. The longer the drug had been used and the higher the dose, the greater the drop in B12 levels. Drops in folic acid, B12, and CoQ10 with metformin use increases homocysteine levels, which increases heart and neurological disease.
Antidepressants can deplete B vitamins, folate, and inositol, which make it difficult to produce the necessary neurotransmitters for mood and well-being. It is quite ironic that this class of drugs, made for the treatment of depression, by their very nature deplete the nutrients that support your feel good neurotransmitters.
Diuretics, used as antihypertensives and to reduce swelling (HCTZ, chlorthalidone, furosemide), can deplete minerals like magnesium, sodium, potassium, and zinc, which play a role in making enzymes for normal body functioning. They also deplete pyridoxine (vitamin B6), thiamine (vitamin B1), and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Beta blockers used for hypertension and congestive heart failure can deplete melatonin, which affects our precious sleep.
Birth control pills block all B vitamins; the result can be weight gain, moodiness, irritability, depression,
and fatigue.
4 Genetics and Individuality
Some of us have genetic defects that prevent us from absorbing the nutrients required for producing necessary enzymes. We are all individuals with different nutritional requirements based on our unique chemistry, lifestyle, physical activity, and diet. Our nutritional needs also vary with different phases of our lives. For example, nutritional requirements are different for us in our 20s than in our 60s. It is important to know our nutritional needs at each phase of our lives in order to optimize our health and well-being at all stages of life.
Problems Due to Nutritional Deficiency
Many health problems arise from nutritional deficiencies, but a potentially serious issue can occur with methylation problems. Methylation is a biochemical process that occurs in every cell and tissue in your body. It affects nervous, cardiovascular, and immune system activity as well as energy production, heavy-metal detoxification, and hormone balance. Methylation also affects DNA. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a gene mutation that affects how your body handles folate. Nearly half of us have a mutation in the MTHFR gene. MTHFR is one of the most important enzymes in folate metabolism. The enzyme “turns on” the folate precursor to make L-methylfolate, the kind of folate that is most useful to the body. The MTHFR gene tells the body how to make the MTHFR enzyme. If the gene doesn’t have the right DNA code, the enzyme will not work well. MTHFR is the most widely researched gene mutation in folate metabolism because it can lead to high homocysteine , which can cause heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.
This needed conversion is also very important in mental health because it enables our bodies to convert the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. The body then uses methionine to make proteins and other important compounds, including neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine). These brain chemicals are essential for a number of aspects of mental health; when this process is impaired, the likelihood of many mental health issues is increased. Vitamins B2, B6, B12, folate, choline, betaine, magnesium, and zinc are all essential for this conversion; without them, we can experience chronic nagging health symptoms and face serious health consequences down the road. There are tests to check for this genetic variant; the results can help guide you on the right supplements to support all of your bodily processes.
Nutritional Supplements Are Not Created Equal
Be aware that not all nutritional supplements are created equal, and they are not regulated by the FDA. Institutions such as the USP (United States Pharmaceutical Convention) provide standard guidelines for supplements that earn a pharmaceutical grade rating. These products are 99% pure without binders, fillers, dyes, excipients, or other additives or unnecessary substances that may cause unwanted side effects. With this grade of vitamins, you are assured that you are getting your money’s worth and that you have a better chance of absorbing them. It does not make sense to accept anything less than pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.
If you have chronic nagging health symptoms dragging you down, don’t guess, TEST! In many cases, these symptoms are a result of a lack of key nutrients that the body needs for optimal health. Whether you are taking supplements currently or not, get tested to see how to maximize your health potential, reduce your symptoms, and prevent further damage to your body. Please call TLC Medical Centre Pharmacy and make an appointment with Zoom, your integrative and functional medicine pharmacist who can guide you on your path to a healthier, happier you.
Approximately 92 percent of the population is suffering from at least one mineral or vitamin deficiency based on the Dietary Reference Intakes. The entire country is overfed and undernourished.
