Taking medicine often means you are likely being robbed of essential nutrients because drugs can reduce your body’s stores of vital life-sustaining nutrients. When a drug robs your body of a nutrient you will experience another effect of that drug, something you call a “side effect.” You probably didn’t know that drugs could do that, but I bet you have experienced the drug mugging effect first hand. One example is with antibiotics…they are drug muggers for your normal intestinal flora and when they rob your gut of these ‘friendly bacteria’ you probably get diarrhea, cramps and nausea.
Another example is with statin cholesterol drugs, like Zocor, Mevacor, Lipitor, Crestor, etc….when these medications mug your body of Coenzyme Q10, you get side effects like muscle aches, fatigue and cardiac problems in the long haul. That’s because Co Q10 is found in your muscles (your heart is a muscle isn’t it?) and so when these drugs mug Co Q10, your entire cardiovascular system and brain pay the price. Dozens of popular medications mug CoQ10, not just cholesterol busters.
Women who take hormonal replacement drugs or birth control pills could be robbed of B vitamins (among other important nutrients) and this causes all sorts of problems including low thyroid, weight gain and depression. The list goes on and on.
I have termed the nutrient depletion, the “Drug Mugger” effect. The information which I am sharing with you is rarely known by the public, but knowing it is very crucial to your health and well-being and it could save your life.
One simple way to replenish nutrients is to eat a balanced diet that includes foods rich in vitamins and minerals, including leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and…if you like meat, grass-fed, hormone free meats. But soemtimes eating doesn’t do enough to offset the drug mugging effect, and supplementation of a particular nutrient becomes necessary.
I discuss this to some degree in a chapter of The 24-Hour Pharmacist, my first book which was released in July 2007. Because so many of you have asked for help, myself and my husband (a holistic doctor) have put together a new health book devoted solely to the Drug Mugger effect offering simple solutions to help resolve problems. In fact, these are absurdly inexpensive ways to feel better. Copies of this book are limited since it is a self-publication.
I recently wrote an article on iron deficiency anemia, and included a list of drugs that mug your iron, leaving your tired, short of breath and pale. That link is coming soon so check back shortly.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
