Most often my patients ask me how to take this or that drug: with food, before or after? But few people realize that the more correct question is: "What foods should I avoid while taking this drug?".
It is generally not recommended to take medications on an empty stomach, but it is also very important to know what foods to combine them with. Some combinations of foods and medicines can at best reduce the effectiveness of treatment and at worst lead to blood clots or liver damage.
The fact is that our food contains many bioactive compounds, including vitamins and minerals, that can interact with some active pharmacologic ingredients. Unfortunately, science hasn't paid much attention to these potentially dangerous compounds…
Therefore, to avoid complications, it is important to know which foods and medicines should never be mixed.
Grapefruit and statins
Despite its usefulness, grapefruit is a champion of intransigence to drugs. Moreover, the freshly squeezed drink, which is very popular among Americans, in combination with pills can sometimes lead to a fatal outcome. The main reason is the competition of juice components with drugs for the same enzymes in the liver. The greatest danger is the combination of juice with lipid-lowering drugs – statins. While the liver is "busy" breaking down the ingredients of grapefruit into their constituent parts, the drugs circulate through the body, their concentration in the blood increases, reaching that dangerous level when various side effects appear.
Also, you should not eat this fruit when taking medications for high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, as well as anticoagulants that prevent the formation of blood clots.
Dairy products and antibiotics
Antibiotics are one of the most "controversial" medications. It is extremely important to avoid alcohol while taking antibiotics, but we already know about that. Also, when taking antibiotics, it is necessary to exclude dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt from the diet, as they significantly neutralize their effect. With antibiotics of tetracycline, penicillin and azithromycin groups, milk forms insoluble compounds, as a result of which the effectiveness of drugs is significantly reduced. Milk and dairy products should not be consumed not only while taking the drug, but also one hour before/after it.
It is also undesirable to combine vitamin D with dairy products, as they promote the absorption of drugs based on this vitamin, which is dangerous for the central nervous system.
Leafy greens and blood thinners
When taking blood thinning medications such as warfarin, it is advisable to pay attention to the amount of leafy greens consumed. Spinach, kale and broccoli, which are recommended to eat for health, are rich in vitamin K, which is responsible for blood clotting. Therefore, when taking anticoagulants, greens can reduce their effectiveness. You don't need to avoid these foods completely, but you should stay away from them when taking warfarin.
Alcohol and painkillers
Relieve pain with a pill and relax with a glass of wine – this way of treatment is practiced by many people. But is it possible to combine painkillers with alcohol? What side effects from such a cocktail will not wait?
In fact, the danger lies in the layering of effects that alcohol and the drug have on the body. For example, alcohol and painkillers have sedative properties – they cause drowsiness, slow down reaction speed, and slow down brain function. When they interact with each other, these effects are multiplied, which can shut down vital body functions.
Coffee and neuroleptics
Many people cannot imagine a morning without a cup of aromatic coffee. Even the thought of it seems unbearable. In the United States alone, more than half of the adult population drinks three cups of coffee a day.
But did you know that the caffeine in coffee and tea reduces the effects of neuroleptics?
Neuroleptics help treat people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. But if you wash the pills down with tea or coffee, it can reduce the drug's effectiveness.
In addition, according to a study, osteoporosis and thyroid medications may change their effects when exposed to coffee.
Our body is a unique biochemical laboratory.
When taking medications, you should be attentive to their compatibility and interaction with food: read the instructions for use carefully, paying attention to what foods should be excluded from your diet for the duration of treatment with these drugs.