Beware of food and medication interactions

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WHEN you take oral medication to treat an illness or swallow a nutritional supplement, they end up being digested together with the food and drinks you consume. For the most part, many of us take these without giving much thought to the fact that they may interact with each other.

Certain food may affect the absorption of some medicines. This is important to know so that you do not jeopardise your treatment.

Taking some of these food together with certain medications may lessen the effectiveness of the latter or cause complications.

Let’s take a look at some common food and medication interactions.

POTASSIUM

Doctors prescribe ACE inhibitor medication and diuretics to lower blood pressure, reduce water retention and treat heart failure.

These medications may increase the amount of potassium in your body. Due to this, do not take excessive amount of food that are high in potassium such as bananas, leafy green vegetables and oranges if you have been prescribed these medications.

VITAMIN K

Warfarin is a blood-thinning medication. Food that is high in vitamin K, such as leafy green vegetables, kale, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, reduce warfarin’s anti-bloodclotting function.

CALCIUM

If you are taking tetracycline, a type of antibiotics, be aware that calcium will lessen the effectiveness of this medication.

Calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese and cream should not be taken together with this antibiotic. Don’t forget calcium-fortified foods, beverages and supplements as well.

Apart from calcium, iron tablets and aluminium in antacids can reduce the absorption capacity of tetracycline.

The usual instruction is to take tetracycline one hour before or two hours after a meal.

Avoid excessive amounts of food high in potassium such as bananas if you have been prescribed ACE inhibitor medication and diuretics to lower blood pressure, reduce water retention and treat heart failure. GLYCYRRHIZIN COMPOUNDS

Black liquorice, which is used to make the popular black cultured candy, contains a component called glycyrrhizin. This compound interacts with digoxin, which is prescribed to patients with abnormal heart rhythm and heart failure.

Apart from digoxin, black liquorice should be avoided if you are taking medication for blood thinning, pain relievers, birth control pills and high blood pressure.

Be careful about taking natural liquorice root supplements, which have the same interaction with these medications. THE AMINO ACID TYRAMINE

Tyramine is an amino acid that is found in a variety of food such as chocolate, smoked/ fermented meats, processed meats, fermented soya products and aged cheese.

Eating too much tyramine foods is not advisable for people taking medications for Parkinson’s disease and depression (monoamine oxidase inhibitors, also known as

MAOIs).

HIGH FIBRE

A high-fibre diet can decrease the absorption of antidepressant medications such as amitriptyline, causing it to be less effective.

High-fibre food that is also high in phytate compounds such as oats and wheat bran should also not be taken together with the heart medication digoxin as they lessen the absorption of the medication.

FURANOCOUMARINS

This interesting-sounding word is a natural compound found in grapefruit and its relatives, the pomelo and Seville oranges.

Avoid these fruits if you are taking cholesterol-lowering medications, antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, thyroid replacement medications and a type of cough medicine that contains dextromethorphan. Food that is high in vitamin K, such as leafy green vegetables,

can reduce warfarin’s anti-blood clotting function. Calcium-rich foods should not be taken together with tetracycline, a type of

antibiotics.