Which of the following foods can interfere with the absorption of certain antibiotics?

There are three ways food interacts with the medicine we take. The food will either interfere with how our body breaks it down, slow down our body’s absorption of the medicine, or block the absorption of the medication entirely.

Consequently, taking antibiotics to stop infection inside our system is not a walk in the park. While the antibiotics kill the bacteria we need to eliminate in our body, it is also possible that the good bacteria will be affected. Hence, pharmacists at Orlando Pharmacy suggest that we have to hasten our healing and reinforce the effectiveness of antibiotics by avoiding these food choices:

1. Foods high in acidity. Highly acidic foods repel absorption of drugs in our body. Whenever we eat citrus fruits, chocolate, and tomato-based products while on antibiotics, we prevent these antibiotics to get absorbed in our system.

2. Allergens and sugars. Gluten, dairy, and sugar are common allergens which suppress the ability of our white blood cells to destroy bacteria. We won’t want to hinder how antibiotics are supposed to work in our body by eating these, right? Moreover, women who are on antibiotics need to get away from these substances to prevent yeast infection.

3. Dairy products. Since calcium blocks antibiotic absorption, consuming dairy products while taking antibiotics will not cure our infection. However, we should also take note that yogurt, which is a dairy product, would be helpful for our gut while on antibiotics. Also, if we need calcium or iron supplement for another condition, we could take these supplements at least three hours before taking the antibiotics.

4. Foods high in fiber. Lentils, beans, and whole grains are good food options when we want to lose weight. But we should minimize eating these high-fiber foods while we are taking antibiotics. Just like the mentioned food groups, foods high in fiber decrease the body’s ability to absorb the medication in our blood.

5. Alcohol. We have already known that drinking too much alcohol is bad for our health. Whenever we drink alcohol during our medication, whether the drug we are taking is antibiotics or not, it alters how our body responds to the drugs. Alcohol increases our risk to gastrointestinal problems, drowsiness, and dizziness. Thus, we should totally avoid drinking any type of liquor while on antibiotics.

Medicines from every Affordable Pharmacy in Orlando Florida are meant to cure our ailment. If we do certain acts which would alter or badly affect how these drugs work in our body, we might just be spending our dollars in a Pharmacy in Florida for nothing. So let’s ask our pharmacists what food we should avoid every time we buy medications and follow them by heart.

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The foods we eat can interfere with the medications we take.

The foods we eat can interfere with the medications we take.

Patients may not recognize that otherwise healthy foods can have severe consequences when mixed with certain drugs.

As medication experts, pharmacists should recognize their responsibility to clearly communicate the risk of possible food-drug interactions for both prescription and OTC medicines.

Here are some of the most dangerous food-drug interactions that pharmacists can help prevent:

1. Calcium-Rich Foods + Antibiotics

Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese can interfere with certain medications, including antibiotics such as tetracycline, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin.

These antibiotics may bind to the calcium in milk, forming an insoluble substance in the stomach and upper small intestine that the body is unable to absorb.

2. Pickled, Cured, and Fermented Foods + MAIOs

This food category contains tyramine, which has been associated with a dangerous increase in blood pressure among patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAIOs) and certain medications for Parkinson’s disease.

3. Vitamin K-Rich Foods + Warfarin

Pharmacists should counsel patients taking warfarin to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K and avoid introducing kale, spinach, and other leafy greens to their diets.

Vitamin K is vital for the production of clotting factors that help prevent bleeding, but anticoagulants like warfarin exert their effect by inhibiting vitamin K. Therefore, an increased intake of the nutrient can antagonize the anticoagulant effect and prevent the drug from working.

4. Alcohol + Prescription Stimulants

Patients should always be wary of mixing any medication with alcohol, but some interactions are more serious than others.

For instance, ingesting alcohol while taking a prescription stimulant could cause the patient to not fully realize how intoxicated they are. This is especially true when the stimulant is being abused, but it can also happen when the patient takes the drug as prescribed.

5. Grapefruit and Grapefruit Juice + Statins

Patients should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking some medications, in particular statins.

Compounds in grapefruit called furanocoumarin chemicals cause an increase in medication potency by interacting with enzymes in the small intestine and liver. This interaction partially inactivates a number of medications under normal circumstances.

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