Dangerous Drink & Drug Interactions

An interesting feature on Yahoo Health was this article on Dangerous Drink and Drug Interactions. I'm reposting it (and additional info) because food and drugs have similar effects on candida, and ironically, all of the seven drinks introduced as "dangerous" on this list are taboo for people with systemic candida.  Now that's food for thought!

 

The article: Dangerous Drink and Drug Interactions

 

"Before you wash down medication with just any beverage, watch out; common drinks, from fruit juice to coffee, can lessen the effectiveness of certain drugs as well as pose serious health threats when combined with some prescriptions. Medical toxicologist Lesile Dye, MD, FACMT outlined the top alarming combos."

Grapefruits / Grapefruit juice - Grapefruit juice negatively interacts with more than 50 medications, including statins. Because the effects of the citrus juice last more than 24 hours, simply taking your meds at a different time won't solve the problem. For people with candida, citrus fruits have high acidity (lemons and limes actually function as alkalines in the body) and encourage the growth of the candida, and so avoiding citrus is important.

Pomegranates / Pomegranate juice - An enzyme found in pomegranate juice can break down several blood pressure prescriptions. For people with candida, pomegranates have extremely high glucose counts, almost equal to those of grapes, and because of the spike in sugar which causes bacteria to feast and thrive, strike pomegranates from the diet. Pomegranate juice is often diluted with other sweeteners anyway and is a sugar-spike for people without candida too. Eating the whole fruit, if a person can tolerate it, is preferable anyway as the whole fruit still has its fiber, is fresh with its vital nutrients in tact, and therefore is synergetic to the body.

 

Milk - Calcium can interfere with the effectiveness of thyroid medication. Wait at least 4 hours after drug ingestion to drink any calcium-rich beverages. But then why drink milk at all? It's a known toxin to the body, is filled with hormones, is extremely fatty for feeding a 300-pound calf to be a 800+-pound cow; it has been denatured through pasteurization and other processing, and it contains huge amounts of bacteria (aka pus) and is an inflammatory to most people whether they know it or not. Milk with its lactose (milk sugar) is especially volatile to people with candida and even to people with autoimmune diseases. The advertisement "Milk is good food" has been a cruel deception to the public for years as milk plays havoc on the human immune system.

 

Coffee / Green tea / Black tea / even chocolate - Caffeine can pose a serious health threat when taken with stimulants. Avoid a cup of joe when taking ephedrine (appetite suppressants), asthma prescriptions, and amphetamines (such as Adderall). Caffeine excites the nervous system anyway, and for people with candida, it also excites the candida bacteria.

 

Sports drinks - The potassium in [sport drinks among others] can be dangerous when coupled with some heart failure or hypertension drugs. Bananas and kiwis are also very rich in potassium. The potassium found naturally in foods, not that powdered toxic stuff in supplement form, is essential for healing the body; however, sports drinks are filled with sugars and chemicals, both of which candida thinks is great for a fine and enjoyable feast. Bananas and kiwis would be great for people with candida IF they didn't come packaged with high glycemic counts. The above picture was taken from an article on "enhanced waters". These vitamin-enriched [chemical enrichments] waters often have 200 more calories than water, have 33g or so of sugar which is like a dessert in a bottle, and according to Ara DerMarderosian, PhD, a pharmacognosy professor at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, waters that are heavily fortified with vitamins and minerals may actually suppress the immune system especially if the person is already taking supplements or are being nourished with enough vitamins and minerals in the diet.

 

 

Wine - Skip the dinnertime glass of wine when taking antidepressants; the combo can cause hypertension, headaches, fast heart rate, and stroke. The same goes for energy drinks. And for people with candida, drinking anything with fermentation is a joyous occasion for the candida bacteria and a miserable one for the person. Wine has the double whammy of being a fermentation and a product of a high glycemic fruit, grapes; candida loves both!

 

Green tea - Vitamin K, also found in broccoli, kale, cabbage, asparagus, celery and more, can decrease the effect of blood thinners such as coumarin or warfarin. (Fresh garlic too is a very effective blood thinner, but then nobody I know drinks garlic juice ... so I guess this is just FYI.) Green tea commonly taught to be healthy has vitamin K, although the dosage is mediocre since the dried green tea leaves have undergone a brewing process which lessens the vitamin K impact. Vitamin K is nourishing for the body and beneficial for the bones, and there are many ways to get vitamin K in the diet for people trying to rebalance their system from attacking candida; green tea is not as beneficial as is advertised. With the heat reducing the antioxidants and vitamins of green tea, and with the caffeine remaining in the cup, green tea is not a healthy beverage for people with candida.