Image of logo for Medications and nutrition and is sited in the header and footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Membership Options
  • MedNut Mail
  • Resources
  • Login
  • Home
  • |
  • Category: Drug-Nutrient interactions

Drug-nutrient interactions is not well-researched. We typically do not know mechanisms of action nor durations of negative impact. Further, there is no regulatory requirement FOR pharmaceutical impacts on nutritional factors to be included in the drug discovery process. This is surprising given the essentiality of nutrient in health status and the increasing importance being placed on pharmaceuticals to manage ill-health. If inadequate intake is excluded, then the 3 key likely mechanisms that pharmaceuticals can have on nutrient availability include –

  • impairment of intestinal and renal absorption and/or excretion;
  • impairment of and/or limited access to carriers in the blood.
  • occupation and/or inhibition of relevant membrane transporters. Membrane transporters provide shuttle bus services between intestine and blood, blood and cells, blood and kidneys, and kidneys and urine.
If blood tests are conducted during inhibition of the nutrient transporter and the substrate is stuck in the –
  • blood then the results are typically interpreted as excessive dietary intake, and the advice is to reduce intake;
  • cells then the results are interpreted as inadequate dietary intake, and a nutrient supplement is typically prescribed.
Example of direct effect. Amiodarone is a P-gp inhibitor (blocks the transporter function) and its substrates include vitamin D. By inhibiting P-gp transporter, amiodarone decreases vitamin D availability during the period of inhibition. Example of indirect effect. Pyridoxine transporter (THTR2) requires an acidic environment (pH 5.5) for absorption. It is likely an acid inhibitor changes absorption site acidity, and therefore THTR2 cannot facilitate pyridoxine absorption. Given the increasing prominence of prescribed medicines in managing health issues, the key drug-nutrient interactions issues we need to know about include which nutrients are negatively impacted, how are they impacted, and what are the best therapeutic management strategies to address that negative impact.

November 14, 2022

0  comments

Warfarin and Vitamin K

Mechanisms and consequencesVitamin K encompasses several compounds that have similar structures and physiological functions –vitamin K3 - the basic, simplest ...

Read More

April 12, 2022

0  comments

B6 and metformin

Mechanisms and consequencesWhilst researching a related topic for a soon-to-be-published MedNut Mail email, I came across this diagram and asked ...

Read More

February 15, 2022

0  comments

Vitamin C and sodium valproate

Mechanisms and consequences… hSVCT1 (Sodium Vitamin C Transporter 1) expression and function were significantly decreased in intestinal epithelial cells by ...

Read More

January 18, 2022

0  comments

Calcium and proton pump inhibitors

Mechanisms and consequencesCalcium carbonate is a commonly prescribed therapeutic intervention and is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). However, ...

Read More

November 16, 2021

0  comments

Riboflavin and some TCAs and phenothiazines

Mechanisms and outcomesBecause chlorpromazine (a phenothiazine), imipramine (a tricyclic acid) and amitriptyline (a tricyclic acid) have very similar structures to ...

Read More

November 9, 2021

0  comments

Methotrexate and folate – pharmaconutrition implications

Mechanisms and outcomesMethotrexate is both an antagonist and an analogue of folic acid ie it is a nutrient-derivative drug. Methotrexate ...

Read More
Load More
Image of logo for Medications and nutrition and is sited in the header and footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Membership Options
  • Resources
  • MedNut Mail
  • Editorial policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Membership Payment and Refund Policy

Connect with us on LinkedIn and YouTube

Image of icon for LinkedIn
Image of YouTube for footer of medications and nutrition website

We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of Country, and acknowledge and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

ABN: 56 191 983 404            © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Malcare WordPress Security