Many people have a tendency to switch to lighter foods, such as fruits and salads. Healthy eating is always a good idea, but dramatically changing an eating routine can be significant for people taking certain drugs. Many classes of drugs can be affected by the presence of food, which puts older patients who take more drugs at higher risk. The most notable drug interaction involves the drug warfarin.
Warfarin is used to prevent blood clots.
This drug must be monitored carefully because too much will not allow blood to clot when it should, like for small cuts, and too little is not effective in preventing serious blood clots. Warfarin works by inhibiting Vitamin K, which is found in leafy green vegetables, broccoli, spinach and salads. Too much of these good foods counteracts the drug's effectiveness. The dose can be adjusted over time. Dosage of the drug cannot change quickly when the diet swings like a pendulum all the time.