Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect the way your body uses nutrients in food. In addition, certain foods or nutrients in food can affect the action of medications. A drug-interaction is the effect of a medication on food or a nutrient in food. Medications interact with foods and nutrients in several ways. Medications can decrease appetite or change the way a nutrient is absorbed, metabolized or excreted.
A food-drug interaction is the effect of food or a nutrient in food on a medication. Dietary nutrients can affect medications by altering their absorption or metabolism. The food you eat could make the medications you take work faster, slower, or even prevent them from working at all.
Children, older adults, pregnant women, people who are poorly nourished, and people with a chronic disease are at greater risk of medications affecting their nutritional health. Changing the diet to include more foods rich in vitamins and minerals is preferred to taking vitamin or mineral supplements. In fact, vitamin and/or mineral supplements taken in excess can affect how a medication works.
What are some of the most common Drug-Nutrient Interactions? Let’s take a look:
* Medications can decrease appetite or cause nausea, vomiting, an unpleasant taste, or dry mouth. This can affect nutritional health by causing poor food intake. Examples include appetite suppressants and cancer medications and treatments.
* Medications can decrease nutrient absorption. Laxatives can decrease the absorption of many vitamins and minerals. Aluminum hydroxide found in some antacids can prevent phosphorous from being absorbed and used by the bones. Some anticonvulsants can decrease folate absorption. Some cholesterol lowering medications reduce cholesterol by removing bile acids. Bile acids are needed to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D ,E, and K.
* Medications can slow down nutrient production. Vitamin K is produced by bacteria in the intestines. Antibiotics kill harmful bacteria, but they can also kill helpful bacteria. Killing the helpful vitamin K producing bacteria decreases the amount of vitamin K produced in the intestine.
* Medications can interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize nutrients. Birth control pills can lower levels of vitamin B6 and folate in the body.
* Medications can increase the loss of a nutrient. Diuretics remove excess fluid from the body. Some diuretics may also increase loss of potassium along with fluids. Large amounts of aspirin can cause increased loss of folate and stomach bleeding which could result in iron deficiency. Some anticonvulsant medications can cause the liver to increase the removal of vitamin D from the body. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption.
There are also food-drug interactions. Food and nutrients can also alter a medication’s effectiveness in many ways.
* Food can increase or decrease the absorption of a drug. Absorbing less than the intended dose may decrease the effect of the drug. Absorbing more than the intended dose increases the chance for an overdose effect. Drugs are absorbed more quickly into the body when the stomach is empty. Having food in the stomach will slow down a medication’s absorption. The type of food or beverage consumed with a medication can affect a medication’s absorption. Usually, medications should be taken with water. Acidic soft drinks, juices, and foods may produce excess stomach acidity which may destroy a medication or cause a medication to dissolve in the stomach instead of the intestine.
* Foods or nutrients may interfere with a drug’s metabolism or a drug’s action in the body. Aged and fermented foods contain a chemical called tyramine that interacts with a medication, mono-amine oxidase inhibitor. This interaction can result in dangerously high blood pressure. Also, Vitamin K can decrease the effectiveness of certain anticoagulant medications.
* Foods or nutrients may be needed for the removal of a medication from the body. Liver enzymes prepare medications for removal from the body. These enzymes require nutrients to work properly. If required nutrients are not present, medications may stay active in the body longer than they are supposed to. This may cause an overdose effect.
Alcohol and medications do not mix well. It is best to avoid alcoholic beverages when taking prescription or over-the-counter medications. Nutrient supplements can also result in drug-nutrient interactions. In excessive amounts, vitamins and minerals act like drugs instead of nutrients. Nutrients in excessive amounts may interact with other nutrients or may even be toxic.
It is very important to follow the directions on how to take a medication. Following the directions on how to take a medication can affect how or if a medication works. Always visit with your physician when you get a prescription to find out what the medication is for, how to take the medication and what to expect while on the medication.
