When food affects medicine

Foods can affect drug action in many ways. The most common is when foods interfere with absorption, which can make a drug less effective. For example, calcium in milk can bind to the antibiotic tetracycline, interfering with its absorption. Nutrients or other components of food can also interfere with a drug’s metabolism, or how it is broken down in the body. Finally, foods can affect the elimination of drugs from the body.

So some drugs should not be taken with food. Other drugs must be taken with foods to prevent stomach irritation.

When medicine affects nutrients

Some drugs interfere with the absorption of nutrients. For example, some cholesterol-lowering medications reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Others affect the body’s use or elimination of nutrients, like diuretics, which ca cause a depletion of potassium, and lead to a deficiency.

Dangerous interactions

The following are some of the more serious interactions that can occur between food and medicine:

MAO inhibitors and foods containing tyramine

 Mixing monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors-a class of medications used to treat depression-with foods high in tyramine produces one of the most dramatic and dangerous food-drug interactions. Symptoms include a rapid rise in blood pressure, severe headache, collapse, and even death. Foods high in tyramine include aged cheese, chicken liver, certain red wines, yeast extracts, processed meats, dried or pickled fish, legumes, soy sauce, and beer.

Grapefruit

 Grapefruit juice contains a compound that can increase the absorption of certain drugs, which can result in receiving a larger dose than was intended. This effect is not seen with other citrus fruit juices. Example of drugs that are affected include AIDS medications, cholesterol-lowering “statins” calcium channel blockers, antihypertension drugs, and cyclosporine, an immune system suppressant. As a general rule it is better to stay away from taking any medication with grapefruit juice. Since compounds in grapefruit juice can stay in the blood for 24 hours, effects may be noted even if the medication is not taken directly with the juice.

 Foods high in vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for clotting blood. Foods high in vitamin K, such as Swiss chard, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and other leafy greens, can interfere with blood thinners.

 Alcohol

 Alcohol and medications do not mix well. Alcohol can slow down the body’s metabolism, so medication stay active longer than they should. In some cases, mixing alcohol with medication can be fatal. Try to avoid it completely when taking prescription or over the counter medication.

The good news is gout is preventable by controlling your daily diet. Here are the 5 tips of role of diet for gout sufferers.

1. Lose weight gradually. Many people who have gout are obese; losing weight-especially fat around the abdomen-often prevents future attacks. Weight loss should be gradual, however, because a rapid reduction can raise blood level of uric acid and provoke gout. Fasting increases the blood levels of uric acid, therefore, people with gout should never try to skip meals. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets should be avoided since these diets encourage the formation of ketones, metabolic by-products that hamper the body’s ability to excrete uric acid.

2. You may have to modify your drug therapy. Sometime gout is brought on by using aspirin or diuretics for high blood pressure. This medicine may interfere with normal kidney function and the elimination of uric acid. Your doctor may change treatment if you experience severe joint paint while on a drug therapy.

3. Avoid foods that are high in purines. Foods with a high content of naturally occurring chemicals called purines promote overproduction of uric acid in people with a tendency for gout. High-purine foods include anchovies, sardines, liver, kidneys, brains, meat extracts, herring, mackerel, scallops, game, beer, and red wine; these should be avoided completely. Moderately high purine content is found in whole-grain cereals, wheat germ and wheat bran, oatmeal, dried beans and peas, and mushrooms; eat these in moderation.

4. Consume plenty of liquids. Try to drink at least 2 liters of plain water a day to dilute urine and prevent kidney stone formation. Beer and wines should be avoided as these beverages are high in purines and interfere with the elimination of uric acid. People suffers from gout can opt for distilled alcohols in minute amount. Gout sufferers should drink only distilled alcohols in small amounts. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee also can also increase the production of uric acid and further impair its removal from the body. 

5. Eat fish rich in omega-3s.  The omega-3 fatty acids in fish have been found to reduce pain and inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis and may have a similar benefit in gout, but this may be countered by the purine content of the fish.

People suffers from gout also may have hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol. Counseling by a registered dietitian may help in designing appetizing, healthful meals that strike a balance between these health concerns and the enjoyment of food.