One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to commit to eating healthier. It’s about eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming less meat, and even going vegetarian or vegan a few days a week.
While there are many benefits to eating healthier, it’s important to be careful when making dietary changes. This is especially true for people taking prescription drugs, as many health food staples can interact negatively with prescription drugs.
Here are some common food and drink interactions you should know about.
1. Grapefruit juice:
To break down some prescription drugs in your body, your liver uses an enzyme called . Cytochrome P450. However, grapefruit juice contains a compound called . Furanocoumarin It may block the action of these enzymes. When this happens, some drugs can build up in your body.
This includes: cyclosporineIt is a drug commonly used to prevent. organ transplant Managing rejection and its symptoms rheumatoid arthritis and skin conditions etc. psoriasis. Cyclosporine accumulation can have many causes. side effectsThey range from mild nausea and vomiting to kidney and liver damage.
StatinOften used to treat high cholesterol levels and prevent heart attacks and strokes, Due to the influence of grapefruit juice Through the same mechanism. Increased statin levels in the body can increase the risk of side effects, including: muscle breakdownwhich is rare but serious.
Many other drugs can also interact with grapefruit juice. amlodipine (common hypertension drugs) and Sildenafil (erectile dysfunction treatment drug). If you are taking any of these prescription medications, we recommend that you consult your doctor or pharmacist before drinking grapefruit juice, even in small amounts. Sometimes it’s better to avoid it completely.
2. Pomegranate and cranberry juice:
many fruits and fruit juices Citrus fruits in particular can affect the breakdown of drugs in the liver.
pomegranate juice It has also been shown to block liver enzymes that break down . anticoagulant warfarin. This drug is used to prevent blood clots from forming in people with heart arrhythmias such as: atrial fibrillation or deep vein thrombosis.
some reported cases Suggests that pomegranate juice may increase international normalized ratio (INR – Time it takes for blood to clot) Patients taking warfarin. This means the patient may be at higher risk of bleeding.
Pomegranate juice may also affect other medicines, including: tacrolimusan anti-rejection drug used in organ transplants.
Similarly, some case report Studies have suggested that cranberry juice may also affect warfarin. there was 1 person reported death A patient was taking warfarin and had bleeding after drinking cranberry juice 2 weeks ago.
but Results of various studies Some studies show that cranberries affect warfarin in the body, while others show no effect. Therefore, it may be worth checking your INR more often if you drink these juices or think that fluctuations in your INR may be due to fruit juices.
3. Green and yellow vegetables:
Spinach, broccoli, and kale are often considered healthy foods because they are low in calories and rich in nutrients. However, it is also rich in vitamin K, which is necessary to activate certain nutrients. clotting factors (Proteins in the blood help clot).
This can be a problem for patients taking warfarin. Action of warfarin block vitamin K To prevent the formation of blood clots. However, if you eat foods rich in vitamin K, Lower INR And the risk of developing a blood clot increases.
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Eating a healthy diet is important, but be sure to monitor your INR levels or consult your doctor if you incorporate more vitamin K-rich foods into your diet.
4. Milk:
All foods rich in milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt Good source of protein and calcium – Minerals needed for healthy bones.
However, these foods can have the following effects: Absorption of some drugs In the intestines. This includes some antibiotics. Tetracyclines and Ciprofloxacin. The calcium contained in a can of milk is binds to antibioticsthat means it’s impossible absorbed into the bloodstream. This means your body doesn’t get enough antibiotics, making it harder to fight infections.
Other drugs affected by dairy products include: Levothyroxinea drug used in patients with low thyroid levels.
However, these interactions occur in the intestines, which means that you can still consume dairy products even if you are taking these medications. In most cases, you should leave at least one. 2 hour gap Take before or after taking medications and before consuming dairy products.
5. Beans:
The beans are considered healthy they are as they are Rich in dietary fiber and vitamins and minerals. Beans are also an excellent source of vegetable protein.
but soy, Broad beans (Fava beans) and snow peas Might be expensive Tyramine. Tyramine is a substance found naturally in the body and in certain foods (such as aged cheese, cured meats, and fermented foods), but it can interact with antidepressants. Phenelzine.
Phenelzine is Monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI), now less commonly used. This drug blocks the enzyme that breaks down tyramine in the body. When patients eat tyramine-rich foods, high levels of tyramine occur, potentially causing dangerously elevated blood pressure. Only MAOI antidepressants such as phenelzine, isocarboxazid, and tranylcypromine are affected by tyramine.
A healthy diet improves your overall health in many ways. Always consult your pharmacist-doctor before making any major changes to your diet, especially if you are taking prescription medications.
