Food-Drug Interaction

Foods are essential components necessary for living organisms to meet their basic needs and sustain life. Drugs are substances used to improve functional and physiological conditions in living organisms. Nutrients and drugs can be used together in normal processes and to complement each other in their therapeutic properties. However, the simultaneous use of food and medication leads to food-drug interactions. Food-drug interactions develop in relation to the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the drug and vary depending on the type of food, post-meal physiology, the structure of the drugs, and the route of administration. Pharmacokinetic interactions can alter the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs. Pharmacodynamic interactions result in synergistic or antagonistic effects. These interactions can lead to changes in the therapeutic efficacy, distrubition in the body, and toxicity profile of drugs. These changes can result in serious clinical symptoms resulting from unsuccessful therapeutic efficacy, particularly in at-risk groups. Therefore, understanding drug-food interactions is critical for effective and safe treatment.