Food and drug pairs that should not be used together

Absolutely do not combine bananas with blood pressure medication, lemon with cough medicine, coffee with asthma...

According to Boldsky, some foods can interfere with the effects of medications or, at worst, cause extremely dangerous side effects. Here are some food and drug pairings that should not be used together.

Bananas and blood pressure medication

Bananas and blood pressure medication should not be used together. Photo: Boldsky.

If you are taking blood pressure medication, it is best to eat foods that are low in potassium. Bananas are one of the highest sources of potassium. When you eat bananas, your heart beats faster, which is not good for lowering blood pressure.

Alcohol and painkillers

If you are taking antihistamines, diabetes medications, or painkillers, it is best to stay away from alcohol. When alcohol is consumed with these medications, it will greatly affect the liver. When the liver is damaged, many other organs will be affected.

Green leafy vegetables and anticoagulants

Green vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and broccoli are rich in vitamin K, which helps blood clotting. So, if you are taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, be careful not to suddenly increase your intake of green vegetables. Warfarin is a drug that blocks the production of vitamin K. Therefore, if you suddenly eat a lot of green vegetables, it will interfere with the effects of the drug.

Licorice and cardiovascular drugs

If you are taking heart medication, stay away from licorice. This food reduces potassium levels in the body, causing the patient to feel weak, along with an irregular heartbeat.

Grapefruit and blood pressure lowering statin drugs

Grapefruit and blood pressure lowering statin drugs should not be combined. Photo: Boldsky.

Absolutely do not use grapefruit juice and blood pressure lowering drugs at the same time because naringenin in grapefruit juice affects an enzyme that affects liver function and reduces the metabolic function of blood pressure lowering drugs, causing high blood drug concentrations and side effects.

Milk and antibiotics

Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and tetracycline should be taken one hour before meals or two hours after meals. These drugs should be kept away from milk in particular. If these drugs are consumed with dairy products, they will be less effective in killing the virus in the body.

Lemon and cough medicine

If you are consuming any cough medicine that contains dextromethorphan, stay away from citrus fruits. The acids from the fruit and dextromethorphan combine to make you feel sleepy, or worse, hallucinate.

According to VNE