Food/ Drug and Drug/ Nutrient Interactions

Food and the nutrients they contain, can interact with medications causing unwanted effects. A food/ drug interaction occurs when a food, or one of its compounds interfere with the way of a drug is used in the body. A drug/ food interaction occurs when a drug affects the use of a nutrient in the body.

How Drugs React in the body:

there are 4 stages of drug action for medication taken by mouth:

Stage 1: the drug dissolves in to a useable form in the stomach

Stage 2: the drug is absorbed to its site of action

Stage 3: the body responds to the drug and the drug performs its function

Stage 4: the drug is exerted from the body either by kidney, liver, or both

The following tables include common Food/ drug and Drug/ nutrients interactions and the proper action to take:

Food/ drug interactions:

Drug/ food interactions:

Credits: Linda B. Bobroff, Ashely Lentz, and R. Elaine Turner