Bruce Abrahamse

Bruce Abrahamse

July 27, 2024

8 Food-Medicine Interactions You Should Be Aware Of

Certain foods can potentially interact with your medications and make them less effective – even the ones we consider healthy. We all focus on incorporating healthy dietary habits into our lives to prevent ailments such as heart disease or lessen our reliance on medications. Yet, unfortunately, many of these healthy foods can often lead to dangerous interactions with the very same medication. Therefore, it is essential to understand these food-medicine interactions. (1)

8 Food-Medicine Interactions to be Aware of

Medicament and fresh fruits and veggies placed on table
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We are often required to make changes in our lifestyles and diets when starting to take a new medication. When the way your body metabolizes medication is affected by a specific compound or nutrient within a food, we call this a food-medicine interaction. This interaction often results in the effectiveness of the dosage being enhanced or reduced. This is one of the food-medicine interactions that can lead to an increase in negative side effects or the medication to not work at all. (2)

Read More: A Woman Had to Undergo 20 Surgeries to Undo The Damage Caused By Medication

Bananas and ARBs

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Bananas are a great source of potassium, which helps maintain a regular heartbeat and assists in the functioning of the heart cells. It also helps maintain overall muscle health and even supports nerve functioning. However, very high potassium levels can lead to an irregular heartbeat, or even worse, cardiac arrest. Certain medications – such as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) – can raise the levels of potassium in your body. Other medications that can raise potassium levels include over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen. (3)

Fruit Juice and Fosamax

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While fruit juice is often regarded as a healthy substitute for sugary sodas if you are taking certain medications, you may want to avoid certain juices too, This is because they contain many substances that affect the way your liver is able to break down the medication, leading to another of those food-medicine interactions we need to be aware of. The juice interacts with the cytochrome enzymes, proteins that usually help metabolize the medication. If you are taking Fosamax (an osteoporosis medicine), then it is suggested that you wait at least two hours after taking the medication before drinking orange juice. This is because the juice lowers your body’s ability to absorb alendronate. (4)

Read More: The Medications That Change Who We Are

Dairy and Antibiotics

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If you are taking a course of antibiotics, you may want to skip dairy for a while. Dairy lessens your body’s ability to absorb certain antibiotics, making them less effective at fighting whichever infections you are attempting to rid yourself of. You should specifically avoid consuming dairy products if you are using tetracycline antibiotics such as Vibramycin and Minocin. If you have Parkinson’s disease and are currently treating it with MAOIs, then it is recommended that you avoid cheese, as it is known to cause negative reactions such as severe headaches. This is because both cheese and the medication are high in tyramine – a chemical known to raise blood pressure. (5)

Licorice and Cortisone

licorice candy
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Licorice has long been used as both a candy and herbal medication. It can also enhance or lower the effects of certain medications, particularly black licorice. These medications include cortisone, cyclosporine, and warfarin. However, if you live in the United States, you may want to read the ingredients of your candy before discarding it. Many licorice products in the U.S. don’t contain actual licorice, but instead use substitutes such as anise oil. (6)

Leafy Greens and Warfarin

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Yes, even leafy greens can affect certain medications. Leafy greens can affect blood thinning medications such as warfarin. This medication is affected by vegetables such as spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts as they contain high amounts of vitamin K, a vitamin known to lessen the efficacy of warfarin. However, it is not recommended to avoid these vegetables, but rather to eat a balanced amount, keeping the levels of vitamin K in your body consistent. 

Alcohol and SSRIs

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Alcohol is known to have an adverse effect when mixed with many medications. These include SSRIs. SSRIs are used to treat depression and anxiety. However, when used with alcohol, it can result in gastrointestinal bleeding. Another medication to avoid mixing with alcohol is metronidazole. This medication is used to treat infections, such as bacterial vaginosis. When taken together, many people experience severe bouts of vomiting. Therefore, it is recommended that one waits 48 hours after stopping the medication before consuming any alcohol whatsoever. 

Grapefruit and Calcium Channel Blockers

grapfruit
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Grapefruit contains a compound known to inhibit CYP3A, an enzyme that metabolizes medications. Consuming grapefruit can affect certain calcium channel blockers that are typically used to treat angina and high blood pressure, such as felodipine and nifedipine. The same occurs with certain medications used to treat high cholesterol known as statins. These statin medications include simvastatin and atorvastatin. Other citrus juices do not have the same food-medicine interactions, so feel free to enjoy a glass of lemonade or orange juice instead.

Soft Drinks and Painkillers

What makes sodas different is the fact that they are bubbly. These bubbles are caused by the added carbon dioxide gas, producing the carbonated water we love so much. However, this gas can have a negative effect when mixed with painkillers. This is because the gas increases the concentration of the medication in the blood, which can potentially lead to toxicity!

The Bottom Line of Food-medicine Interactions

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It seems intuitive that eating food is a safe way to keep your body healthy – and it usually is. However, certain medications and foods contain chemicals that do not always agree and can hurt your health. Understanding these food-medicine interactions will go a long way in preventing you from experiencing these negative effects firsthand. 

Read More: Why You Shouldn’t Mix Decongestants and Blood Pressure Medication

Sources

  1. Medication Interactions: Food, Supplements and Other Drugs.” Heart
  2. 10 Common Food and Medication Interactions to Avoid.” Everyday Health. Jessica Migala. November 16, 2023.
  3. Bananas.” Harvard
  4. How fruit juice interacts with common medicines.” The Pharmaceutical Journal. Claire L. Preston, Stephanie Jones and Harpreet Sandhu. September 30, 2014.
  5. Prescription Drug & Food Interactions to Avoid.” Medicare
  6. Licorice – Cyclosporine Interaction.” Hello Pharmacist