We all take medicine whether it be from time to time or every day depending on the illness. While we do this sometimes we do not think about the reactions that might come from our medications and choices when combined.
Of course, medications list side effects and the things you should not do when using the medication we often don’t think about what the foods we eat might do with these medications. These are issues not listed on the side of our pill containers and can be quite dangerous. Certain foods have very unexpected effects when they meet with specific medications inside the body.
If you take blood pressure medication you should avoid bananas. Blood pressure medications increase the amount of potassium in your body and too much potassium can cause heart issues. Depending on the severity of your health a banana could become quite a serious issue.
If you’re on any type of cholesterol medication then you should not ingest grapefruit or grapefruit juice. This is known to increase the levels of these medications in your bloodstream. This can cause an increased risk of side effects most commonly being leg pain.
Cranberry juice should be avoided if you’re taking any type of anticoagulant. Studies have shown that people who drink cranberry juice while taking these medications showed dramatic blood thinning. An issue like this could lead to serious health complications and should be avoided at all costs.
Spinach is terrible for those who are on blood thinning medication as it makes them less effective and can even increase the risk of clotting.
Dairy is known to prevent the body from absorbing antibiotics properly and makes them much less effective. If you’re taking this type of medication you should do so a few hours before you eat in order to allow your body plenty of time to absorb the things it needs.
Cured Meats
Bacterial infection medication and cured meats do not go together at all! This mixture can cause extremely unsafe spikes in blood pressure. This is because of the amino acid tyramine found in cured meats.
Walnuts should not be eaten if you’re taking medication for your thyroid. They are high in fiber and can prevent your body from absorbing the drug properly. You should do your best to avoid walnuts and anything high in fiber.
When taking heart failure medication you should never ingest black licorice. This is because it contains the chemical known as glycyrrhizin. Glycyrrhizin is a chemical that can cause irregular heart beat when combined with digoxin. This can become a very serious issue.
Salt Substitutes
When taking ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure we should do our best to be careful with salt substitutes. Too much of this can result in something as severe as heart failure in some cases. Care should be taken when ingesting these things.