While medications are meant to make us better, you may not know it but your favorite food is making your health issues worse. Some foods interact negatively with particular medications and you have to know what these foods are. Talking to your doctor about this will let you know the foods that you should avoid and those that can help you improve your health condition.
Here are some foods that interact negatively with some popular medications:
Bananas + ACE Inhibitors
Bananas are packed with potassium. It should be an excellent fruit for those with high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease. However, it may not be advisable when you are into an ACE inhibitor medication because of its high potassium content. Also called angiotensin receptor blockers or ARB, Ace inhibitors are used to lower blood pressure and reduce potassium in the body through urination. When a person taking in ACE inhibitors or ARB eats over-indulge in potassium-rich foods, like bananas, he may develop hyperkalemia or elevated potassium levels, and dangerous palpitations.
Bananas can also interact negatively with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs because of their tyramine content. MAOIs are known drugs for depression.
Cranberry Juice + Warfarin and Statin
Urinary tract infection is a common illness, especially among senior citizens. Fresh fruit juice, cranberry juice, may help alleviate symptoms. However, if you are taking in warfarin and statin for blood clots found in your blood vessels, taking cranberry juice should be stopped as it can have an adverse interaction with warfarin and statin.
Acetaminophen + Alcohol
Heavy drinkers can develop liver toxicity over time. If you are experiencing a hangover because of a trip to the bar with some of your friends last night, never take in Acetaminophen to treat your headache caused by your hangover. It may increase your risk of liver toxicity, a life-threatening condition.
Grapefruit + Statins, Immunosuppressants, etc.
We love grapefruits for their citrusy taste. But do you know that it can have a dangerous interaction with the medications you are taking in? Grapefruits and grapefruit products should be avoided when you are into medications like statin, benzodiazepines (Valium, Triazolam, or Halcion), immunosuppressants (Cyclosporine), calcium-channel blockers (Adalat, Afeditab, Procardia, Plendil), and psychiatric medications ((BuSpar, Zoloft). The ability of grapefruit to interfere with some digestive enzymes can change the way these medications are metabolized which can cause some side effects.
Leafy Greens + Anticoagulant Drugs
If you are taking in blood thinners or anticoagulants like warfarin, you should slow down with your intake of green leafy vegetables. Many leafy greens are rich in vitamin K which promotes the clotting of blood which may exacerbate your condition. But of course, avoiding greens can cause you nutritional imbalance. You should talk with your doctor about adjusting your diet and including some green leafy vegetables.
Dairy + Some Antibiotics
Levaquin (levofloxacin), Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin), and tetracyclines are strong antibiotics for specific purposes. If you are taking these antibiotics, it is best to say goodbye to dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese until your medication is finished. It may be hard to because you may have been having these dairies every breakfast ever since but you have to because they can interfere with the antibiotic’s absorption into your bloodstream. This means their function can be delayed or negated.
Licorice + Spironolactone
Low potassium and heart failure can be treated with antidiuretics like Spironolactone. If you are taking this medication, you should avoid taking licorice, supplements, and other by-products. Licorice can interfere with Spironolactone receptors, making Spironolactone ineffective. This means you are not treating your condition after all.
High Fiber Foods + Most Medications
High-fiber foods are recommended for many reasons. They are known to reduce the risks of diabetes and heart disease. They are excellent at improving digestive issues and weight loss. So if you have these goals, you may tend to eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. But if you are taking any medications, the effects that you may expect may be delayed because it can be affected by the low absorption rate of high fiber foods in your digestive tract. This can be dangerous if you are taking drugs that are meant to alleviate symptoms immediately.
Indeed, it is crucial that we let our doctors know of the foods included in our diet when we are taking medications. This will prevent complications that may occur and for us to get the full benefits of a certain medication. Carefully watch what you eat when you are on medication.