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Myth: I don’t need to worry about my prescription drugs depleting nutrients.

Many popular medications are associated with nutrient depletion and thus increase our need for supplementation. But chances are, neither your doctor nor the product label will warn you about these potentially serious side effects. The biggest culprits: birth control pills (which can lower blood levels of folate and vitamin B6), over-the-counter acid-blocking drugs called proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and Metformin, a drug widely prescribed for type-2 diabetes.

Used to treat painful symptoms of acid reflux and indigestion, PPIs such as Prilosec raise the stomach's pH level, blocking important aspects of digestion and immunity. As a result, they impair the body’s absorption of key nutrients including iron, calcium and vitamin B12. “The FDA warns these drugs can cause magnesium levels to fall to dangerously low levels, increasing the risk for heart arrhythmias and seizures,” says Tierona Low Dog, MD. Research also links PPI use with greater risk for pneumonia, bone fractures and now dementia, says Michael Murray, MD. A new large-scale study from Germany found that people age 75 or older who used a PPI regularly had a 44 percent greater risk for dementia compared with those not taking PPIs.

Often used along with PPIs, Metformin compounds vitamin B12 deficiency. “B12 is critically important for physical and mental wellbeing,” says Low Dog. “Prolonged deficiency can not only increase the risk for depression and poor cognitive function but also irreversible nerve damage.”