Few people know this, but there are medical treatments that are incompatible with certain foods. Such interaction can be hazardous to health because the concentration of drug compounds in the body can be either increased or decreased, which disrupts their effect.
If you are suffering from an illness and are taking special treatment, it is imperative that you learn about any risks when you ingest certain foods that may contain substances that may reverse or even reverse the effect of medications. The consequences can be dramatic and in some cases lead to death.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of these incompatibilities:
Antibiotics and calcium
Dairy products, rich in calcium, can bias the effect of certain antibiotics, including quinolones and tetracyclines by making them insoluble. Their molecules are not absorbed, they have no therapeutic effect and are ineffective.
Since it is not advisable to remove calcium from your diet, you can remedy it by spacing the medication and food consumption for three hours.
Treatments for cholesterol and grapefruit
Grapefruit contains a molecule that blocks the enzyme filtering the intestinal cells, which can lead to a high concentration of the drug in the body and high toxicity. For people taking cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statin drugs such as simvastatin, absorption may be increased by 15 if grapefruit was consumed at the same time as medication ( Either in juice or whole). Overdose causes severe muscle pain.
In the most severe cases, interaction with grapefruit can be very severe and cause kidney failure, haemorrhagic shock and sometimes death.
Vitamins E and K and anticoagulants
People on anticoagulant therapy should avoid foods rich in vitamin E and vitamin K.
Vitamin E helps to fluidify blood and improve circulation, so it should be avoided if you take anticoagulants because it has the same effect and you risk hemorrhaging.
Foods rich in vitamin E are: seeds, cereals, eggs, butter, peanut oil, sunflower oil and seeds, corn oil, rapeseed oil, oil Olives, margarine, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, wheat germ, avocados, asparagus, bacon, tuna and salmon.
As vitamin K has a coagulant action, it can cause phlebitis, so it is incompatible with taking anticoagulant drugs. It is found mainly in cabbage, Brussels sprouts, sorrel, spinach and broccoli.
Hyperthyroidism and iodine
Patients taking hyperthyroidism should avoid foods high in iodine because not only does this mineral affect the development of the disease but it also consists of components that increase the thyroid hormone.
It is therefore not advisable to eat seafood, dried fruits (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and pistachios), certain fruits (coconut, apple, strawberries, mango, apricot), spinach , Peas, corn, cinnamon, fennel seeds, ginseng and algae. Legumes such as lentils and dried beans should be consumed in moderation.
Antidepressants and tyramine
For patients who are on antidepressants, they should avoid cheese and cold meats because the tyramine they contain can cause high blood pressure and sometimes lead to death.
Alcohol and medication
Since alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system, it is forbidden to take it if you are under anxiolytics, antidepressants and sleeping pills.
It is not without recalling that medical treatment or not, alcohol is to be consumed in moderation!
To avoid any risk, it is recommended not to consume the proscribed foods mentioned in this article during the whole duration of the treatment. Share this article around you so that everyone knows this.
In case of doubt, do not hesitate to ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.