If you’re sick and the doctor gives you a prescription there’s an 80% chance that there’s an antibiotic prescribed as well. Many a time the dosage is quite high and they tend to destroy the good intestinal microflora that aid in digestion apart from killing the other pathogenic bacteria. Our body functions on the right balance of chemicals and hormones. When this gets disturbed there’s the incidence of various kinds of health complications. It is not always possible to avoid antibiotics but what we can do is to eat right when taking those medications. Different foods cause different reactions. Some tend to completely hinder the process of absorption of the ingested medication and some might tend to slow down the process. Sometimes one may even have an upset tummy. To cope with all this, read further to understand the types of foods that don’t usually pair well with antibiotics.

 

1. Dairy Products: It is usually advised to avoid all dairy products when you’re taking antibiotics. Milk, especially can have an adverse reaction as the calcium present tends to interfere with the chemical constitution of antibiotics and reduce the absorption of antibiotics.

 

2. High-fibre food: We may have all heard about how healthy high fibre foods are if you’re looking at losing weight. In general what happens is that the fibre tends to slow down the rate at which food is absorbed. But while you’re on medication, you need the absorption to happen faster. Hence it is better to avoid foods like beans, lentils and whole grains.

 

3. Alcohol: This might sound very obvious. But the fact is that it doesn’t actually interfere with the effect of antibiotics but it just causes other side effects like acidity and gastrointestinal burns.

4. Calcium & Iron Supplements: As pointed out earlier, calcium tends to interfere with the absorption process when coupled with the chemical constituents of an antibiotic. The same effect is seen when iron supplements are ingested. Hence it is better to avoid such pills/supplements.

 

5. Citrus fruits: Fruits like grapes, oranges and lemons can impede the healing process when you’re taking antibiotics as they tend to slow down the absorption process. Also avoid highly carbonated beverages available in the market, especially sodas.

 

References:

http://www.indiatimes.com/heal th/tips-tricks/foods-you-shoul d-avoid-if-you%E2%80%99re-on-a ntibiotics-242876.html

http://www.news.com.au/lifesty le/health/health-problems/the- foods-and-drugs-that-should-ne ver-be-mixed/news-story/ae993e 3ef35a0f980580fc6a943ec388