Taking prescription meds? You must read this!

Nearly half of us take at least one prescription pill daily, and most of us don’t realize that many of these meds—used to treat everything from heartburn to weight woes— can trigger shortfalls in essential vitamins and minerals! These easy food fixes can prevent a problem if you’re taking:

Heartburn meds: Breakfast ● on Special K!

Vitamin B-12 is essential for making red blood cells, but prescription and OTC heartburn drugs can drastically reduce your blood level of it, reports the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Patients taking proton pump inhibitors [such as Nexium or Prilosec] for two or more years were more likely to be diagnosed with a B-12 deficiency,” says study author Douglas Corley, M.D., PH.D. Eat a daily bowl of fortified cereal, such as Total or Special K, to keep your B-12 level up.

● Corticosteroids: Make an omelet!

Taking an oral corticosteroid to knock back inflammation from arthritis or another condition doubles your risk of a vitamin D deficiency— which can hamper your body’s ability to absorb bone-building calcium! So “unless you make up for the loss of D, you’re at risk of weakening bones,” says study author Frederick Kaskel, M.D. His fix: Eat D-rich eggs (40 IU per egg) and fortified dairy products like milk (8 oz. = 100 IU) and yogurt (6 oz. = 80 IU). Aim for at least 600 IU daily.

● Fat-blockers: Eat spinach!

Weight-loss drugs can trigger shortfalls of the vitamin A that’s essential for healthy vision and a strong immune system. “Any medication like Alli [orlistat] that causes weight loss by impacting fat absorption also reduces your absorption of fat- soluble vitamin

A,” says Lisa Cimperman, M.S., R.D.N. To ensure you get 5,000 IU daily, eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as spinach (1/2 cup, cooked = 11,458 IU) or carrots (1/2 cup, raw = 9,189 IU).

● Diuretics: Snack on bananas!

Diuretics that lower blood pressure can also lower your potassium level by prompting your kidneys to excrete that essential mineral along with blood-pressure-spiking sodium! Keep your potassium high (4,700 mg. is recommended daily) by eating dried apricots (1/2 cup = 756 mg.), baked potatoes (medium size = 610 mg.), yogurt (1 cup = 579 mg.) and bananas (1 large = 487 mg.).