In this week’s column, Jamar Tejada indicates the foods and drinks not to consume while taking medicinal capsules
In the busyness of everyday life, many people take medications in the way they find most convenient or handy, or in the way they find easiest to take. Just as important as having medicine on hand to remedy a health problem is knowing when and how to take it.
In my 20+ years as a healthcare professional, I have heard and seen it all: people taking medications with orange juice or lemonade, milk, coffee, soda, tea, fruit smoothies, and even beer, wine, and whiskey! And then they still complain when they feel bad.
The vast majority think that it is enough to “enter” the body and the effect is guaranteed, but this is not the case. We must understand that each medicine is composed of active ingredients that will react in our body, which will undergo metabolism, enzymatic reactions, which begin in the mouth with the action of saliva, then acids and enzymes coming from the stomach, intestines, liver and Presto.
All, or at least almost all, oral tablets and capsules were studied by drinking a glass of water, since water is the universal solvent. So, as my father says: “Don’t invent fashion.” Ingesting it with fruit juice, coffee, tea, alcohol or any of the above can actually affect the desired effect of the treatment. The response to the drug can be increased, decreased, or even canceled out, damaging your health and life.
There are also cases of medications interfering with each other, whether the medication prevents the proper absorption of a nutrient, or the food or drink may prevent the stomach or intestines from properly absorbing a medication.
In the case of the elderly, the damage is greater, since the functionality of various organs is reduced due to aging.
7 foods and drinks to watch out for when taking medications
Milk and dairy products
Calcium in milk or dairy products can inactivate the effect of tetracycline, an antibiotic widely used to treat acne and fight a broad spectrum of bacteria. The medicine sticks to the mineral and ends up reducing its effectiveness. The recommendation is to leave an interval of one hour between the administration of the antibiotic and the intake of milk, cheese or yogurt. Calcium also interferes with the absorption of iron present, for example, in medicines to treat anemia.
Citrus fruits, especially grapefruits and bitter oranges
The famous lemonade or even the very common orange juice are in the list of fruits that can interfere with the use of more than 40 drugs, increasing their bioavailability (absorbed amount of the drug in the blood) up to 5 times, making the dose not safe and can even become toxic.
I’m not saying you should stop eating these fruits, but if you are taking medications, avoid ingesting these fruits and their juices at intervals very close to therapy (about two hours). They should not be consumed with anticonvulsants, psychotherapeutic drugs, iron and sodium serums, felodipine (hypertension control), midazolam (sleep inducer) and cyclosporine (immunosuppressant).
Alcoholic drinks (ethanol)
It doesn’t even need to be said that alcohol and drugs don’t mix, right? Alcohol can induce both a delay and an acceleration in the metabolism of a drug, in its transformation from the active form to the inactive form. When alcohol is consumed acutely, the consequence is a slowing of the metabolism and, in chronic cases, an acceleration. An additive effect may also occur with the adverse effects of the drug, making them stronger and causing nausea, dizziness, confusion and drowsiness.
In this dangerous association, the worst effect is with those drugs that act on the central nervous system, such as antidepressants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and anticonvulsants. Since alcohol, which also acts directly on the brain, tends to enhance the effect of the drug, which can cause, in addition to all the above-mentioned symptoms, insomnia, agitation, respiratory failure, cardiac arrhythmia and even lead to coma.
These characteristics of combined alcohol and drug use are worrisome, especially for older adults, who often treat more than one disease with multiple drugs and have slower metabolisms.
So don’t drink alcohol together with antidepressants, antipyretics (paracetamol), analgesics, tranquilizers, antipsychotics, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), anticoagulants (warfarin) and anticonvulsants, ok?
Licorice (sweet root)
Well, even innocent plants and teas interfere. As for licorice, both its extract and tea contain components that can interfere with several medications, including antihypertensives and antiarrhythmics. In fact, even consuming licorice in doses higher than 50 mg can generate side effects such as increased blood pressure.
Foods rich in tyramine
This amino acid belonging to the class of exogenous bioactive amines is derived from the famous tyrosine. You can find it in fermented (mature) cheeses, dried and very ripe fruit, red wine, beer, matured meats (salami) and homemade or yeast-rich bread. Such foods rich in this amino acid interact dangerously with MAOI antidepressants (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) used in people resistant to other treatments and generate a severe hypertensive crisis, since it is responsible for inducing the release of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, dopamine and adrenaline.
Caffeine
Found in our beloved coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate and some soft drinks, caffeine reduces the absorption of many medications and can interfere with treatment by reducing their therapeutic effects. We should not ingest these foods and drinks with diazepam (calming), nortriptyline (antidepressant) and pentoxifylline (vasodilator), etc.
Consuming caffeine with medications containing theophylline, a bronchodilator prescribed for asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, may increase the risk of toxicity, because the substances overlap, increasing the toxicity of the drug and intensifying adverse effects such as tachycardia and agitation. The same can happen when you mix caffeine and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, causing headaches, insomnia and nausea.
Roasted coffee beans are the richest source of caffeine, with a 150ml cup containing 103mg of caffeine, enough to cause significant interactions.
Vitamin K
Found in kale, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kiwi, avocado, among other vegetables, it promotes blood clotting and prevents bleeding. Those taking warfarin-based anticoagulant drugs (patients who have had or are at risk of developing blood clots, such as those with heart disease). Therefore, it is necessary to follow medical instructions so that the diet does not reduce the effectiveness of the medicine. Again I say it’s not about avoiding sources of vitamin K, you should maintain your intake, but avoid eating a lot of it one day and none the next and also, take at least two hours away from your medication schedule.
I hope this information hasn’t scared you, the goal is to inform you so that you can improve more and more and have no doubts.
When you take the medicine, take it with a simple glass of water, the universal solvent. Your treatment will thank you!
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.