How Prednisone May Affect Your Diet During Course Of Treatment

As with most drugs, prednisone comes with various side effects. It can affect how essential minerals and vitamins are inhibited and utilized by the body, according to WebMD. Some minerals are a mainstay in your body’s functionality. For example, calcium helps maintain strong bones and teeth and plays an important role in blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve functions (via Harvard T.H. Chan). According to a 1995 study published in the journal Clinical Rheumatology, taking prednisone can increase serum calcium. However, excessive calcium in the blood can weaken your bones, cause heart disorders, and create kidney stones (via Mayo Clinic).

Prednisone also reduces the amount of protein in your blood (per National Kidney Foundation). A diet rich in protein can help your body build muscles, hormones, and enzymes (via Healthline). If protein is in short supply, your body might seek it from elsewhere, most likely from skeletal muscles, to protect tissues and various body functions.

Although mostly seen with higher doses, weight gain is yet another side effect that can come with long-term prednisone use. In fact, as per a 2006 study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, 70% of people who took glucocorticoid, the class of drugs to which prednisone belongs, noticed weight gain. However, unintentional weight loss is also a recorded side effect of steroid-induced diabetes (per Medical News Today). Steroids, like prednisone, can increase…