Health alert over Christmas foods that ‘interact with common medication’ – and can trigger nasty side effects
KITCHEN accidents or falling over when stringing lights might come to mind when think of holiday perils that might await you this Christmas.
Most of us would never imagine that the danger actually lies on our plate.
Health bosses have warned Brits taking specific medications to be mindful of what they eat and drink, as some combinations can have pretty nasty consequences.
From the sauce you coat your turkey with to your favourite Christmas roast side dish, here are four festive delicacies the Medicines and and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says you should never mix with your meds.
1. Cranberries
How do you have your Christmas turkey?
Do you just douse it in gravy or do you heap some cranberry sauce on the side.
But the MHRA warned Brits taking warfarin, an anticoagulant drug used to prevent blood clots, to abstain from having this Christmas staple.
“If you’re taking warfarin, for example, used to prevent and treat blood clots, do not eat cranberry products or drink cranberry juice,” it wrote.
The reason? The interaction between the tart berry and your medication “might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding”, as it can increase the blood thinning effect of warfarin.
2. Brussels sprouts
Whether you boil, steam or roast them, Brussels sprouts are undeniably a Christmas roast staple.
But you might want to be careful when consuming the pungent green nuggets – as well as broccoli and green leafy Christmas vegetables – if you’re taking warfarin.
That’s because these nutritious greens contain lots of vitamin K, a chemical the body uses to promote blood clotting.
“Vitamin K counteracts the effects of warfarin and can make it less effective,” the MHRA warned.
But no need to cut all types of greenery from your Christmas plate.
“It’s important that you eat foods containing vitamin K, so rather than leaving them out of your diet, make sure you eat similar amounts of them regularly,” the MHRA advised.
“This will mean the level of vitamin K in your blood stays fairly constant and makes it more likely that your blood monitoring level stays stable.”
3. Booze
The holidays are certainly the season to be jolly, and that tends to come about with a lot of booze.
Aside from the fact that binge drinking should be avoided, it’s also worth bearing in mind that alcohol can affect the way your medicines work.
“Some antibiotics, for example, can have side effects such as feeling sick or dizzy, which might be made worse by drinking alcohol,” the MHRA noted.
It advised consulting with your doctor or pharmacist before indulging in a festive tipple when you’re on medication.
4. Mocktails too!
You might the non-alcoholic route is peril free, but you should also check non-alcoholic drinks, the MHRA advised.
Before sipping mocktail, check that it doesn’t contain grapefruit juice.
“Do not drink grapefruit juice if you’re taking simvastatin – used to lower cholesterol,” the MHRA noted.
“It increases the level of the drug in your blood and makes side effects more likely.”
These can include muscle pain, tenderness, weakness and cramps, which the NHS can be signs of “muscle breakdown and kidney damage”.
You should avoid having grapefruit or grapefruit juice if you’re taking other statins like lipotor or zocor.
Some medicines used in the treatment of cancers may also interact with grapefruit juice too.
Overall, the best thing you can do is check if your medicine could cause interactions is to read your Patient Information Leaflet that comes with it, or you can ask your pharmacist or GP for advice.
“There are several other medicines that may interact with certain types of food and drinks,” the MHRA advised.
“The risk of experiencing a side effect due to a medicine interaction can vary a lot from person to person.”
Here are four other food and medicine combos best avoided if you don’t want to experience nasty side effects.