According to a report published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, over 750,000 people are hospitalized in the emergency room each year due to interactions of two or more pharmaceutical drugs. Less severe interactions between popular pharmaceutical drugs and commonly eaten foods, herbs as well as herbal medicines may also lead to discomfort, illness and may even render ineffective the intended effects of a much-needed drug treatment. Understanding the nature of how drug interactions occur may help you make better choices and ensure that you experience the best possible quality of life.



There are two fundamental mechanisms that contribute to interactions between food items and drugs.


In a pharmacokinetic interaction a food may

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impact the way a drug moves in out of the body which is related to absorption, distribution, metabolism and eventual elimination of the drug.When a pharmacodynamic interaction occurs, the effects of a drug may either be amplified or canceled out by some compound found in the food.The four cycles any drug goes through in the body are absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. Any combination of drugs as well as certain foods or herbs and drugs can result in either a pharmacokinetic or a pharmacodynamic interaction at any of these four stages. Such interactions are very difficult to study because it is not simply the combination of two compounds that can lead to an interaction but also the timing, concentration or
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even the preparation of the food or the compound that can result in an interaction. Genetic factors can also contribute as certain people may act on foods differently when they are taken into the body.


One example of a drug interaction with a very common food involves the grapefruit. Containing many nutrients including vitamin C and a long list of phytochemicals, an unidentified phytochemicals in grapefruit leads to a Pharmacodynamic interaction that amplifies be a fact of certain drugs and therefore increases the risk of drug toxicity as well as drug side effects.


Among the types of drugs known to have interactions with the grapefruit are anti-seizure medications, antidepressants, tranquilizers, calcium channel blockers, and even HIV antiviral medications. Some reports

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conclude that this interaction only occurs if the grapefruit is consumed at the same time as the drug. Consuming the grapefruit well before or well after the consumption the drug may not cause an interaction. Because the chemical involved in this interaction is unknown, this risk is associated with whole grapefruit, grapefruit juice and even grapefruit pills.


Another common food or herb interaction involves garlic. When combined with diabetes medication garlic capsules can cause a dangerous decrease in blood sugar levels large doses can also thin the blood and in effect amplify the effects of blood thinning drugs like warfare and aspirin or other blood thinners.


Combinations of individual nutrients can also lead to interactions. When combined with iron and

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tetracycline antibiotics, zinc absorption can be reduced or the zinc can reduce the absorption of the iron and the tetracycline antibiotic. The effects of this type of interaction can take days, weeks or even months to display, making it very difficult to diagnose.


If you currently need pharmaceutical drugs to manage the symptoms of a disease condition potential interactions are easy to avoid with a small amount of preventative education. For more information consult your pharmacist about the most likely interactions that could affect you and ask for resources to provide you with a more comprehensive list.


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