Can Losartan Deplete Your Nutrients?
Have high blood pressure? Many people take Losartan. It is a medicine mainly used for high blood pressure. Doctors also use it to help protect kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes. Losartan is part of a group of drugs called ARBs. These drugs block the action of angiotensin II. This is a chemical in the body that makes blood vessels narrow. When losartan blocks angiotensin II, the blood vessels stay more open. This helps lower blood pressure. It also makes it easier for the heart to move blood around the body. Losartan is given to manage high blood pressure. It helps people with diabetes who have protein in their urine to protect their kidneys. Sometimes, doctors give it to people for heart failure or to help after a heart attack.
What Side Effects and Drawbacks Should You Be Aware of When Taking Losartan?
Losartan can help save lives, but there are some problems that come with it. There can be side effects like dizziness, feeling lightheaded, being tired, or having more potassium in your body. It can also sometimes hurt the kidneys or make blood pressure too low. Losartan can make you lose important nutrients, and I want to talk about this more because some medicines like this can cause your body to lose needed minerals.
Which Essential Nutrients Can Losartan Deplete Over Time?
Losartan can deplete the following nutrients:
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Calcium:
Losartan does not use up calcium on its own. It can change calcium levels in the body by working with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). When losartan blocks angiotensin II, it lowers how much aldosterone is in the body. Less aldosterone can change how the kidneys move calcium. The drop in aldosterone may lead to more calcium leaving your body in urine, and this could lower the level of calcium in the body over time. This is usually not a big change, but for some people, it may be important for bone health.
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Carnitine:
Carnitine plays an important role in moving fatty acids into the mitochondria so your body can make energy. Losartan does not lower carnitine straight away. But it can change how your kidneys work, and this may stop the kidneys from taking carnitine back. The kidneys usually keep carnitine, so if you use any drug that changes how the kidneys filter or handle things, it can lead to more carnitine leaving in your urine. Also, if you take medicines all the time that change blood pressure or the way your kidneys handle their job, it can change how your body uses energy and this may make the body need more carnitine.
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Chloride: Chloride levels go with the balance of sodium and potassium. When losartan blocks angiotensin II, it lowers aldosterone. This lowers how much sodium the kidneys take back in the last part of their tubules. Chloride often goes with sodium to help keep things even. So, when there is less sodium taken back, some chloride leaves in the urine. This loss is often not big. Still, for those taking other water pills or eating little sodium, it might help lower chloride even more.
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Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10):
There is no strong proof that losartan greatly lowers CoQ10. But there can be some effects that happen in other ways. Blood pressure drugs, including ARBs, can change the way mitochondria work and add to stress from oxygen. CoQ10 is important for the energy made by mitochondria. Using drugs that affect how the heart works for a long time may make the body need more CoQ10, which could lead to not having enough. Some doctors say people who take these medicines for high blood pressure should use CoQ10 to help the heart and muscles with getting energy.
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Magnesium:
Magnesium in the body can change when people take losartan, mostly because of the way the kidneys work. Less aldosterone can cause the body to get rid of more magnesium in urine. You need magnesium for the muscles, nerves, heart, and energy. If you lose too much of it for a long time, you may feel muscle cramps or feel tired. Still, most healthy people get enough magnesium in their diet. This is not a problem unless you already have some other health issues.
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Potassium and Sodium:
Losartan changes how much potassium and sodium your body has. It blocks a thing called aldosterone. This makes it harder for your kidneys to get rid of potassium, which can sometimes cause high potassium in the blood. It also lowers how much sodium is taken in, so some people may have low sodium levels. Changes in sodium and potassium are some of the most important effects of losartan. For this reason, it is normal for doctors to check these levels when you take the drug.
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Zinc:
Zinc helps with many enzyme activities, including some that are linked to blood pressure and stress on the body from oxygen. There is not much proof saying that drugs that target the RAAS system, such as losartan, may affect zinc levels in a not direct way. If there are changes in how the kidney works, in the amount of urine you have, or in proteins in the body, it can lead to changes in how the body gets rid of zinc. This may bring down zinc levels in the blood over time. But this is usually not a big change. What you eat most times makes up for any zinc you lose.
What’s the Overall Summary of How Losartan Influences Mineral and Nutrient Balance?
Losartan mostly changes how the kidney works and affects how the body controls fluids and salts. This medicine can cause the body to lose some calcium, magnesium, chloride, and zinc in urine. Potassium might go up because less is removed in urine. Carnitine and CoQ10 can be lowered because of changes in energy and the way cells work. Sodium levels may drop a little, which is mostly because of less aldosterone at work.
To check mineral levels, we suggest using a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), especially if you have been taking Losartan for a long time. HTMA is one of the best ways to look at mineral balance in the body. It helps you find out if you might need help from a nano mineral supplement.
If you notice that you do not have enough of any of these nutrients while taking Losartan, have a look at our Upgraded Calcium, Upgraded Magnesium, Upgraded Potassium, and Upgraded Zinc!