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Whether prescription medication or over-the-counter, all drugs are poisonous. A poison is any substance that causes adverse effects to the tissues in our bodies, and in high enough doses can kill. Almost all medications taken to treat a disease fit this description. Of course, they also help our bodies overcome serious illness and restore us to optimum health. The adverse, poisonous, properties of these medicines are relatively minor and are given the name *side-effects.* That's why, when we*re ill, we take the drugs our doctor recommends us, get back to optimum health, and then stop taking our medication.

But when we are put on long-term medication, for diseases such as depression or high blood pressure for example, then we may have to put up with serious side effects for some time. Do we need to put up with these side-effects? Or are there natural vitamins or nutritional supplements that can restore our general health, as the drug treats our disease?

How Drugs Affect Mineral & Vitamin Balance

Our body's level of vitamins and minerals is finely balanced and unique to you. In fact, your optimum health is dependant on each and every one of the body's essential minerals and vitamins being there in the right amount, and being able to do their unique job. With a good, balanced diet, and healthy life-style this delicate equilibrium takes care of itself, without the need for special treatments or nutritional supplements.

However, when we*re prescribed medication this fine balance is completely destroyed as the drug bulldozes its way through the body. It is the strength of most medications that produces such dramatic effects - both good and bad - and why when taking medication the need for vitamin health supplements is needed. Drugs can affect the absorption, metabolism, or action of vitamins and minerals effectively creating a deficiency in your body that only nutritional supplements can correct.

Some examples

Both oral and inhaled corticosteroids, such as Hydrocortisone, Prednisone and Flonase, are known to cause the depletion of a number of minerals. Corticosteroids have a number of known side-effects, including muscle cramps and headaches. Magnesium and potassium deficiencies in the body cause unwanted problems such as*muscles cramps and headaches. This is no coincidence, and besides these two minerals, corticosteroids also cause calcium, selenium, vitamin B6 and vitamin D deficiencies, requiring the need for nutritional supplements.

Non steroidal anti-inflammatory or antacids are used to cure age related diseases and commonly lead to deficiency of calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, and iron. Nutritional supplements are often needed to restore levels and optimum health. Also, a large number of drugs including tricyclic antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta blockers and hypertension curing drugs lead to depletion of CoEnzyme Q10, which plays a vital role in energy production, detoxification, and protection against heart attacks.

Women taking oral contraceptives usually face depletion of essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B2, B6, B12, Vitamin C, Folic acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. In addition patients suffering from heart diseases and diabetes also have a need for nutritional supplements to replace lost vitamins.

The best way to deal with the side-eefects of drugs is to have a proper and well balanced diet. However, this may not always be enough so nutritonal supplements are an excellent way to restore balance and health to the body. Nutirtional supplements can include multivitamins, vitamin complexs or specific vitamin or minerals; it all depends on what you may be deficient in. What goes into your nutritional supplement depends upon what your medication is taking from your body.