Did you ever stop and wonder if that bite to eat has anything to do with your birth control pills or diet supplements?
Food-drug interactions can change the effects of various medications. Certain nutrients and supplements can enhance or diminish a medication's effectiveness.
A medication's purpose is to target a specific organ or tissue. For this to occur, the drug must enter the bloodstream and eventually reach the target site where it will take action. If there is an abnormal interaction between the drug and a nutrient, the drug can be altered into inactive or active metabolites. Ultimately, this could cause drug or nutrient elimination from the body.
Caffeine, for instance, should be consumed with caution if you're taking medication because it increases central nervous system stimulation.
Alcohol should be avoided with many drugs because it can cause impaired coordination, further sedation and respiratory dejection.
Even grapefruit can inhibit metabolism of drugs, while escalating the amount of medication entering the bloodstream. This could lead to additional side effects or potential drug toxicity.
Unfortunately, this information is not always conveyed to you clearly in the complex medication packaging.
Here are some common medications taken by college students and advice on how to incorporate them safely into your diet:
Oral Contraceptives
Take with food, and increase the amounts of folate, magnesium and vitamin B12 in your diet. Folate, found in leafy greens, nuts, fortified cereals and bananas, is essential for cell division, DNA production and protection against neural tube defects in pregnant women (although hopefully, an oral contraceptive will prevent that little line or plus sign on a pregnancy test). Oral contraceptives only have a minor interaction with grapefruit, but caffeine should be limited.
Anti-ADHD medication (Concerta, Ritalin, Metadate CD)
Limit caffeine. Take with food -- this will increase the drug's effectiveness. Acknowledge adequate calorie intake because these drugs can cause decreased appetite, growth and weight.
Anti-anxiety (Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax)
Limit caffeine, avoid alcohol and St. Johns Wort, and use caution with herbal products, such as chamomile.
Antidepressants (Wellbutrin, Prozac, Paxil, Stratera, Zoloft)
Use caution with grapefruit, limit caffeine, avoid St. Johns Wort and decrease fatty foods -- they can decrease the rate of drug absorption. Healthy foods taken with the drug will increase absorption, as will consuming water.
Antihistamines (Allegra, Benadryl, Zyrtec)
Fruit juices (apple, orange or grapefruit) may decrease the bioavailability of medication by more than 70 percent. Avoid alcohol.
Calcium Supplements (Tums, Os-Cal, Caltrate)
High-fiber foods can help form non-absorbable complexes and should be avoided at the time of taking the supplement, but can -- and should -- still be consumed throughout the rest of the day. High-phytate foods (bran, barley, almonds, beans, brown rice) should be consumed at times other than supplementation as well. Hydration is important for absorption. If you take zinc or iron supplements, make sure to take them one to two hours before or after calcium supplementation.
Iron Supplements
Food can decrease the absorption of iron supplements by 50 percent. Take iron with water on an empty stomach while avoiding phytate foods at the time of consumption; allow two hours before or after. However, a diet rich in vitamin C and meats will increase overall absorption of iron and iron supplements.This is just a brief list of medications and nutrient interaction. Talk with your doctor about your own medications to ensure you are taking the best measures in tackling whatever ails you.Jenny Stranzl is a senior majoring in nutrition. Readers may submit questions to her via e-mail at jls636@psu.edu.
