Watch What You Take With Medications
Question: Some of my friends don’t seem to know that beverages might interact with medications, and when I watch them take pills with a sip of coffee, grapefruit juice or milk, I cringe. Could you give us some updated information?
Answer: Avoiding food and drug interactions is more complicated than many people realize. A woman who takes her antibiotic (tetracycline, Cipro or Noroxin) with milk or calcium-fortified orange juice might not get over a urinary-tract infection or bronchitis, for example, because calcium interferes with absorption of the medicine. Cipro can also boost the caffeine effect.
Grapefruit juice can interact with dozens of medications. Foods that might affect certain medicines include cheddar cheese, broccoli, avocado, oat bran, cabbage, licorice and watercress. When in doubt, swallow pills with a water.
Q: I understand that eating licorice lowers testosterone levels in men. Will it have the same impact on testosterone levels in women? Could this hormonal effect be a solution to eliminating unwanted facial hair in women?
A: An Italian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 7, 1999) suggests that men who eat licorice have lower circulating testosterone levels. Although this herb might also lower testosterone levels in women, the risks might be too great.
Licorice has a number of potential side effects, including high blood pressure, fatigue, mineral imbalance and loss of libido.
There are better options for controlling facial hair in women, but they require a doctor’s prescription. The diuretic spironolactone has long been used for this purpose. Vaniqa cream is also effective.
Q: I keep reading that tea might have benefits over coffee because of its antioxidants. I prefer decaffeinated tea. Does decaffeinated tea retain its antioxidant potency?
A: Recent studies demonstrate that tea drinkers are less likely to suffer a heart attack and less likely to die if they do have a heart attack. Researchers speculate that antioxidants in tea are responsible.
Both green and black tea contain caffeine, although the dose per cup is substantially lower than that in coffee. Decaffeination does seem to remove many beneficial antioxidant compounds.
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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Send questions to People’s Pharmacy, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com.
