Drug Information Q&A Q27. Can food affect drugs?
Answer
Food can affect the main and side effects of a drug, making it more or less effective. The relationship between food and drugs depends on the patient's constitution, symptoms, age, etc. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Explanation
Eels and dried plums, water melon and tempura are well-known food combinations, or combinations that are said to cause stomach problems.
Although there is no clear evidence for such food combinations, there are certain foods that should not be consumed together with medicines.
Ingredients in food may strengthen or weaken the effect of a medicine.
If you are prescribed a drug that requires you to be careful about food, your doctor or pharmacist will advise you, so please ask if you have any concerns.
For example, natto is a little problematic for patients with myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction who are taking warfarin, a drug used to prevent blood clots from forming by preventing blood from clotting.
Vitamin K, which is abundant in natto, has a blood-clotting effect. This action is the opposite of that of warfarin, making the drug less effective. Natto is particularly problematic because the natto bacillus keeps natto alive in the body for a while and produces vitamin K one after another; one serving of natto can leave an effect for about three days. In addition to natto, other foods containing vitamin K include green and yellow vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. These vegetables can also be problematic if eaten in too large quantities.
Supplements and other so-called health foods used to maintain and improve health can also affect the effects of drugs.
Supplements such as vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin D, which are often used by women, have been reported to affect the effects of certain drugs. Supplements come in easy-to-swallow forms such as capsules or tablets, and many people are likely to be in the habit of swallowing them. If your doctor prescribes a drug for you, tell him or her about the supplements you use on a daily basis.
The same also applies to so-called health supplements. Ginkgo biloba extract, EPA and DHA, coenzyme Q10, and chamomile have been reported to affect certain medications.
Thus, even foods that we eat on a daily basis without thinking about them may cause problems when combined with medications.
Your doctor or pharmacist should warn you if you are prescribed a drug that may cause a food mix-up problem, but if you have any concerns, please consult with them.
Chart/Column
Effects and effects of drugs that require caution depending on foods (example of natto + warfarin)
The above figure shows an example where the effect of a drug was weakened by eating natto while taking the antithrombotic drug warfarin (when the patient ate natto (100 g) on the 10th day after starting warfarin, the effect of warfarin was weakened by the vitamin K abundantly contained in natto, and the degree of blood clotting increased again This effect of natto lasted for about three days. (This effect of natto lasted for about three days.)
Source: "Information on the Proper Use of Warfarin, Second Edition," Clinical Research Center, Eisai Co., Ltd. (Supervisors: Masahiko Aozaki and Kazunori Iwade)
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