This is a guest blog post by Seuna K. Linda Eva
Did you know that the everyday foods we eat can totally change the way prescription drugs act in the body ? Medically, it is known that some common foods can interact with prescription drugs, with the most commonly known culprit being grapefruit juice. However, there are a lot more of food and drug interactions to be concerned about.
Here is the third out of 06 food-drugs interactions to avoid we are going to present in series…
Many people are unaware that high amounts of potassium can cause heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat when taken with the ACE Inhibitors.
Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are pharmaceutical drugs used primarily for the treatment of hypertension (elevated blood pressure) and congestive heart failure.
Examples of such drugs include: ramipril (Altace), captopril (Capoten), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), trandolapril (Mavik), benazepril/hctz (Lotensin), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), enalapril maleate (Vasotec), fosinopril sodium (Monopril), quinapril hydrochloride (Accupril).
Diuretics, also known as “water pills,” are a common, inexpensive, and effective medication used to treat high blood pressure. According to the FDA (Food Drug Association), potassium can also pose a problem if it is combined with diuretics like: furosemide (Lasix), indapamide (Lozol), bumetanide (Bumex), chlorthiazide (Diuril), torsemide (Demadex), metolazone (Zaroxolyn), chlorthalidone (Hygroton), hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril, Microzide).
Instead of eliminating dietary sources of potassium like bananas, take your medication one hour before eating. Please make certain you check your body for symptoms.
How do I check for food-drugs interactions ?
Anytime you’re given a newly prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you’ll want to always read the drug warning labels.
Be sure to ask your doctor and/or pharmacist about which foods or other drugs you should avoid or be concerned about taking, based on your diet.
You may want to see if there is a different medication you could take, that would work better with your diet.
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Seuna K. Linda Eva is a Cameroonian-based nutritionist passionate about empowering people to make health-conscious decisions about their diet and lifestyle. She believes you can be healthy without forgoing our delicious African dishes. Co-founder of DietMiam, through her writing, speaking and one-on-one coaching services, she has helped thousands with diet-related disorders (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, gout, etc.) to develop long-term, sustainable lifestyle habits and rediscover the joy of eating.
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