Medication, once taken, is gone. It's a habit. But drugs are involved in the entire digestive process and can interact with that cigarette you smoke, the juice you drink, or the food you eat. Therefore, it is necessary for you to know the dietary restrictions for the medication you are taking to prevent reduced efficacy and even adverse reactions.
Aspirin -- Alcohol, Juice
After alcohol enters the human body, it needs to be oxidized into acetaldehyde, and then further oxidized into acetic acid. Aspirin interferes with the oxidation of acetaldehyde into acetic acid, causing acetaldehyde to accumulate in the body. This not only aggravates symptoms like fever and body aches but can also easily cause liver damage. Juice, on the other hand, can exacerbate the irritation of aspirin on the gastric mucosa, inducing stomach bleeding.
Berberine -- Tea
Tea water contains about 10% tannins. Tannins are broken down into tannic acid in the human body, which will precipitate the alkaloids in berberine, greatly reducing its efficacy. Therefore, you cannot drink tea within 2 hours before or after taking berberine.
Ibuprofen -- Coffee, Cola
Ibuprofen (e.g., Fenbid) is highly irritating to the gastric mucosa. The caffeine in coffee and the cocaine in cola stimulate gastric acid secretion, which will intensify the toxic side effects of ibuprofen on the gastric mucosa, and may even induce stomach bleeding or perforation.
Antibiotics -- Milk, Juice
Do not drink milk or juice within 2 hours before or after taking antibiotics. Because milk reduces the activity of antibiotics, preventing the drug from taking full effect. Meanwhile, the fruit acids (especially in fresh juice) accelerate the dissolution of antibiotics, which not only lowers their efficacy but may also generate harmful byproducts, increasing toxic side effects.
Calcium Tablets -- Spinach
Spinach contains a large amount of potassium oxalate. After entering the human body, the oxalate ions released will precipitate calcium ions, which not only hinders the body's absorption of calcium but also easily forms calcium oxalate stones. Experts recommend not eating spinach within 2 hours before or after taking calcium tablets, or to first boil the spinach, dissolve the potassium oxalate into the water, discard the water, and then eat it.
Antihistamines -- Cheese, Meat Products
While taking antihistamine drugs, avoid foods rich in histamine, such as cheese and meat products. Because histamine is converted into histamine in the body, and antihistamines inhibit the breakdown of histamine, this causes histamine to accumulate in the body, inducing symptoms like dizziness, headache, and palpitations.
Anti-diarrheal Drugs -- Milk
When taking anti-diarrheal medication, you cannot drink milk. Because milk not only reduces the efficacy of the anti-diarrheal drug, but its lactose content can also easily aggravate diarrhea symptoms.
Bitter Appetite Stimulants -- Sweet Food
Bitter appetite stimulants rely on their bitter taste to stimulate the secretion of digestive fluids like saliva and gastric juice to promote appetite and aid digestion. Sweet ingredients, on one hand, mask the bitterness and reduce the drug's efficacy. On the other hand, they also form chelates with many components in the stomachic, reducing the content of its active ingredients.
Diuretics -- Bananas, Oranges
While taking diuretics, potassium tends to be retained in the blood. If you also eat potassium-rich bananas or oranges at the same time, the accumulation of potassium in the body becomes more severe, which can easily induce complications related to the heart and blood pressure.
Vitamin C -- Shrimp
You cannot eat shrimp within 2 hours before or after taking Vitamin C. Because the abundant copper in shrimp will oxidize Vitamin C, rendering it ineffective. At the same time, the pentavalent arsenic in shrimp will react with Vitamin C to form toxic trivalent arsenic.
Tonic Chinese Medicine -- Radish
Tonic Chinese medicine nourishes the body's qi, blood, yin, and yang. However, radish has the effect of "breaking qi," which will greatly diminish the tonic effect. Therefore, radish should be avoided while taking tonic Chinese medicine.
Antihypertensive Drugs -- Grapefruit Juice
You cannot drink grapefruit juice while taking antihypertensive drugs. Because the naringenin component in grapefruit juice affects the function of an enzyme in the liver, and this enzyme is related to the metabolism of antihypertensive drugs. This will cause the drug concentration in the blood to be too high, greatly increasing side effects.