Health advice spans what you should take and eat to be healthy — and also what to cut down on for the reverse reason. Stocking your diet full of healing foods and functional foods will only go so far if you also do things that wind up depleting your store of nutrients. That is what this article is about, and here are the final five factors that commonly rob us of nutrients.
5. Alcohol: This is a big one. Consuming alcohol is well known to deplete the body of vitamins and minerals. It basically disrupts your absorption of nutrients from food, and the metabolism of nutrients in your cells. This is true of the majority of vitamins and minerals. In some cases, alcohol actually stimulates your body into getting rid of nutrient — calcium and magnesium, most notably. Don’t drink within one hour of taking supplements. And know that when you drink, your body loses nutrients and has a harder time obtaining them from food and supplements.
6. Caffeine: Caffeine acts like a diuretic in your body, and as such can cause nutrient depletion. It can interfere with the absorption of several minerals and B vitamins, too. Most notably, it is believed that caffeine intake can cause calcium loss in your bones if you don’t get enough of this vital mineral in food or supplements.
7. Mineral oil: This particular laxative is primarily used to soften stools in people who have constipation, thus making bowel movements easier. Unfortunately, mineral oil has a major impact on nutrients in your body. Researchers have discovered that it interferes with the absorption of a slew of various minerals and vitamins, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamins D, E and K. It may be best to take this on an empty stomach to prevent a loss of absorption. A multivitamin/mineral supplement may be in order if you use mineral oil regularly.
8. Cooking methods: The way you cook fruit, vegetables, rice, meat, and fish can lower the nutrient levels. Removing skin off fruits and veggies or overcooking them will deplete valuable vitamins and minerals (especially boiling them). Overcooking whole grain pasta will also result in lost nutrients.
9. Antacids: This common over-the-counter group of drugs can disrupt levels of several minerals and vitamins in your body if used for too long.