Different types of foods can affect our mood, our sleeping habits and, of course, our weight. And now more and more research is surfacing about how combining certain foods can help us or hurt us, especially if we combine these foods with medications.
Take the grapefruit for example. Loaded with vitamin C, it is a food that is good for you, but this can change if you are on medication. That’s because grapefruit, as well as other foods, may interfere with your drugs effectiveness.
Grapefruit contains chemicals that can prevent certain drugs from breaking down properly. As a result, elevated levels of the medicines may stay in your body longer than intended, leading to side effects.
Other examples include aged cheese, soy sauce and cured meats. These don’t mix with antidepressants because they contain high levels of a substance called tyramine. The combination can lead to a dangerous spike in blood pressure.
Other foods can make drugs less effective. Milk can reduce the infection-fighting effects of some antibiotics. Black licorice can interfere with some blood clotting drugs.
Pectin, which is used as a stabilizer in foods like jam, can limit the absorption of the painkiller acetaminophen and green, leafy vegetables can pose problems if you’re on the blood thinner warfarin.
And pay attention to your timing. With some drugs, you should completely steer clear of some foods. While in other cases, you just need to avoid the food around the time you take the meds.
It is very important to read all of the information that accompanies the medications you buy, whether they are over the counter or prescription medications. If you have any questions it’s important to ask your health care professional or pharmacist.
