The Most DANGEROUS Aisle in the Grocery Store

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted August 24, 2022

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

Next time you stroll into your grocery store, stop and take a good look around.

I’m betting one thing you won’t feel at that moment is fear.

If you’re like most people, you’re comforted by the familiarity of the grocery store. You know that you’re about to fill up your shopping cart with the best foods and products you can find to care for your family.

But it turns out there’s an aisle you should be wary of.

Sure, every item on those shelves has been approved by some government entity. But don’t let THAT fool you. They’re far from safe.

Especially if you don’t use them correctly. And far too many folks don’t.

I’m talking about the over-the-counter (OTC) drug aisle.

There you’ll find meds to ease your cold and flu symptoms, help you sleep, unstick backed-up bowels, stomp down stomach acid, stop your pain, and more.

Everything from their clever advertising to their perfectly designed packages is intended to lure you into thinking two things:

• These drugs are HARMLESS
• You NEED them

Over-the-counter meds do go through a regulation and oversight process before they can be sold to you. But let’s be honest, those regulations are often shaky at best.

They do the bare minimum to protect you from worrisome side effects.

And besides, when there’s money to grease the tracks, it’s not always clear how stringent the review process actually is.

Remember, pharmaceutical companies exist to sell drugs and make big profits doing it. The executives running them are less concerned for your safety than they are about serving their stockholders.

That means it’s up to YOU to protect yourself. To do that, you need to know your risks. Following are six of the most common side effects of over-the-counter painkillers you need to know about.

• Tinnitus: Taking any painkiller increases your risk of persistent ringing or other noises in the ears called tinnitus. These meds include aspirin, NSAIDs, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and COX-2 inhibitors.
• Organ damage: Taking too much aspirin can lead to stomach bleeding. Taking too much Tylenol can damage your liver.
• Risky Behavior: This side effect sounds like it’s pulled straight out of a science fiction novel. But it’s all too real. Swallowing Tylenol can lead you to take greater risks, sometimes with disastrous results. Studies have found that the popular painkiller can cause you to feel fewer negative emotions when considering risky activities. And when you don’t feel properly scared, you can make poor and even dangerous decisions.
• Worse Pain: Painkillers are obviously supposed to help relieve But in some cases, they can backfire on you. Researchers took a deeper dive into 35 back-pain studies involving over 6,000 people taking pain relievers. The scientists found that only SIX people got significant pain relief. The pain levels for the remaining volunteers stayed the same or worsened. Plus, the patients were at greater risk for NEW painful issues, including heartburn, stomach irritation, ulcers, and internal bleeding.
• Higher Heart Attack Risk: You’ve likely heard that taking a daily aspirin is good for your heart. That’s NOT true for most of us. (You’ll find more on that topic here.) But even worse, that halo effect makes many people believe ALL pain relievers have heart benefits. The opposite is often true. A large study of more than 446,000 people found that regular use of ibuprofen, Advil, diclofenac, Celebrex, or Aleve was linked to a 20 to 50 percent INCREASED risk of a heart attack.
• Immune System Suppression: If there’s one thing you need right now with COVID still spreading, the rise of other dangerous viruses, and flu and cold season right around the corner, it’s a healthy immune system. But taking over-the-counter painkillers can decrease your immune system function leaving you more vulnerable.

These potential side effects don’t mean you should never take over-the-counter painkillers. They’re okay for occasional use.

But notice, I said occasionally. You should only take OTC drugs when you absolutely need them. If you’re eating the right foods and taking supplements to reduce inflammation, you’ll find that isn’t very often.

PS: Chronic inflammation can make you more vulnerable to everything from rampaging viruses to developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But one sweet “summertime fruit” could turn out to be your best ally in this fight. Click here for all the delicious details.

Source:

Dangers of Common Painkillers: 5 Potential Risks From Taking OTC Pain Relief Drugs

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND