Gastric acid can be a serious problem. People often tend to have gastric acid buildup and look for various treatments to help them. Doctors usually prescribe medicines and one of the most commonly used is called omeprazole.
Usually, after taking too much medicines or undergoing therapies, the good bacteria in our guts can get out of hand and we must keep our intestinal flora regulated, otherwise it can cause intestinal problems. Well, we’ve got bad news for the people who are taking omeprazole regularly because it’s a very harmful drug.
The Health Hazards Of Omeprazole
Omeprazole actually limits our body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 when you consume it for an extensive period of time. The deficiency of this vitamin can lead to:
- Depletion in our red blood cell count
- Anemia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Neurological damage leading to degenerative ailments like dementia
- It can cause damage to our central nervous system
- Omeprazole causes rapid loss of calcium in our bodies which causes a condition known as osteoporosis or brittle bone syndrome, where a person is prone to broken bones or fractures easily
- A calcium shortage can cause muscle issues
- It causes an increased risk of respiratory issues, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation, and congestion
- Chronic fatigue caused by low red blood cells which are responsible for conveying oxygen throughout our body
A study by the Kaiser Permanente Institute based in the United States of America researched the health dangers of omeprazole. They monitored over 26,000 test subjects every day and the subjects consumed various amounts of omeprazole within a period of two years. The subjects that had consumed omeprazole were at risk of having vitamin B12 deficiency by as much as 65% when it’s compare to individuals that do not make use of the medication. We can conclude that omeprazole is indeed very harmful for our health and we should avoid using it as a gastric protector!
