Author Question: The nutrients in food can adversely affect the action of some drugs and a number of drugs can ... (Read 82 times)

PhilipSeeMore · **on:** Aug 20, 2018

The nutrients in food can adversely affect the action of some drugs and a number of drugs can adversely affect the nutrients one can obtain from the foods eaten. Why might the dietitian recommend that someone using antibiotics long term consume sufficient vitamin K while suggesting that someone else taking Coumadin avoid foods such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage?

Question 2

How does vitamin E function in the body?

Smiles0805 · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

In many situations the use of a medication can influence the metabolism or function of a nutrient. In the case of vitamin K, long-term use of antibiotics can kill bacteria in the large intestine that normally produce vitamin K, increasing risk for vitamin K deficiency.
Coumadin, a drug often prescribed to prevent blood clots in people with cardiovascular disease, works by decreasing the activity of vitamin K, especially in its role in blood clot formation. Since Coumadin counters the effects of vitamin K, those taking it should not consume a diet high in vitamin K. (It is also important to consume roughly the same amount of vitamin K every day as widely varying intakes of vitamin K can make it difficult to regulate the amount of Coumadin one requires.)

Answer to Question 2

Vitamin E plays a major role in protecting the fatty acids in each cell membrane's phospholipid bilayers from free radical-induced, oxidative damage. This occurs because vitamin E can donate electrons to free radicals, in turn stabilizing them. This protection is especially important in cells that are exposed to high levels of oxygen, such as those in the lungs and red blood cells.