Paige Harris I know we talked a little bit about ibuprofen and its effects last week, but now this week, it’s all about acetaminophen, aka Tylenol. And while it may seem totally fine to pop one daily, there are a few reasons you should reconsider.
How does acetaminophen work:
Acetaminophen is a non-opioid analgesic (pain reliever) that works by inhibiting an enzyme (special type of protein) called cyclooxygenase (COX). COX enzymes are necessary to convert certain fatty acids in your cell walls into prostaglandins, which are known to cause pain, inflammation, and fever. Without these prostaglandins, your brain doesn’t receive the signal of pain, so you don’t feel it.
Why it matters:
Although prostaglandins sound scary, they’re very necessary when it comes to having a proper immune response. If you have a fever, for example, chances are your body is trying to fight something off. It’s only problematic when the fever gets too high or becomes chronic.
And on top of that, acetaminophen can be tough on your liver. Taking it depletes your body’s levels of glutathione, a master antioxidant. And since your body’s main antioxidant organ is your liver, I’m sure you can see the connection there.
Your liver is responsible for detoxifying chemicals, filtering the nutrient-dense blood coming from your digestive tract, and metabolizing alcohol. It does a lot for you, and a little bit too much acetaminophen can push it over the edge.
When you take even 25% above the maximum dosage (just two extra pills in the day), it can start to cause liver damage.
So if you’re finding yourself constantly popping Tylenol, maybe you should consider sometimes taking other supplements to help instead, like magnesium, curcumin, or even CBD (I recommend Ned!). Or working on your movement patterns or stress reduction — which can make a big difference!
Now, this doesn’t mean I’m always against using conventional medicine. But it does mean that I believe that if you’re suffering from chronic pain, pill popping isn’t the answer. Instead, you need to work to figure out the root cause of whatever is causing that pain so you can heal, not cover it up.
And that’s exactly what I do with all of my clients, both 1:1 and inside my Gut Instinct Group Program.
Imperfectly,
Paige
