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Christmas season is just around the corner And this may be the best time of year to enjoy Elaborate dinners and banquets. But for people who are taking prescribed medications like statins, warfarin or antidepressants, it’s important to know that certain seasonal foods and drinks may interfere with the medications, affecting how well they work, or may increase the risk. side effects,
Expert pharmacists and nutritional health experts, Amir Bhogal and Deborah Grayson spoke to Independent, who are giving advice Must be careful with common foods To avoid any health problems on Christmas.
ripe fruits
During festivals you may like to start the day with grape or juice. But what may seem like a healthy option, according to Deborah Grayson, a nutritional pharmacist, could be harmful for those taking cholesterol-lowering statins, certain blood pressure medications, certain antidepressants and immunosuppressants.
“Chemicals found in grapes affect enzymes in the liver that are responsible for breaking down many drugs. When this process is blocked, the risk is that the drug can accumulate in your bloodstream to unsafe levels”, she said. Ms. Grayson recommends avoiding grapefruit completely during treatment.
Mr Bhogal said: “Many patients do not realize that both fresh fruit and juice pose the same risk, and the effects can last up to 24 hours after consumption.”
leafy greens
Vitamin K can be found in a variety of leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and everyone’s favorite Brussels sprouts, but Ms Grayson says these nutrients “may play an important role in blood clotting”.
If you’re one of the millions of people prescribed the commonly used blood-thinning drug warfarin, “vitamin intake needs to be carefully balanced”, warns Ms Grayson.
Mr Bhogan advised that “the main issue is not to avoid these foods completely, as this would be nutritionally counterproductive, but to maintain consistent intake.”
dairy products
Dairy products, especially milk and cheese, contain calcium and other minerals that can significantly reduce the absorption of some antibiotics, such as those commonly prescribed for chest infections and urinary tract infections.
Calcium binds with these medications in the intestine, preventing your body from absorbing the full dose, which can lead to long-term infections or treatment failure. This significantly reduces the effectiveness of the medication, potentially causing the infection to persist or worsen.
Both pharmacists recommended not cutting out dairy products completely, but instead spacing your medication and dairy intake by at least two hours to ensure adequate absorption.
Tyramine-rich foods
Tyramine is an amino acid found in aged cheese, cooked meats, fermented foods, and some soy products. These may interact “dangerously” with enzymes present in depression and anxiety medications, causing a sudden increase in blood pressure.
This can lead to a “life-threatening” condition known as hypertensive crisis, Mr Bhogan said.
Ms. Grayson advises those taking chronic antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) to avoid tyramine-rich foods because they can cause headaches, fast heartbeats or even hypertensive crisis.
Liquor
A drink or two at a celebration is common, but according to Mr. Bhogan, alcohol reacts with a variety of drug categories in a way that can be “unpredictable and sometimes dangerous.” Besides the obvious concern of increasing fainting, alcohol can also impair drug metabolism, increase the risk of bleeding, cause dangerous drops in blood pressure, and cause severe nausea.
Ms. Grayson says alcohol “can also put additional stress on your liver,” especially if you’re taking medications that are processed there. For people managing diabetes, alcohol can interfere with blood sugar control, sometimes causing levels to drop dangerously low or masking symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Effects vary depending on the amount of consumption and the specific medication involved and Mr Bhogal and Ms Grayson always advise patients that “even moderate alcohol consumption requires a conversation with their pharmacist or doctor to understand their specific medication interaction profile”.
Cranberries
Cranberry sauce is a favorite Christmas dinner condiment. However, cranberries may also interact with warfarin by increasing the blood-thinning effect, which “may increase the risk of bleeding and bruising,” says Ms. Grayson.
Cranberries, whether consumed as juice, supplements, or as whole fruit, may increase the risk of bleeding if intake increases suddenly.
Mr Bhogan said: “Patients who regularly consume cranberry products need to maintain regular intake, while those who do not usually consume them should be cautious about suddenly consuming large amounts”.