- Some foods and drinks affect the way some diabetes medication work.
- High fat meals, alcohol and refined carbohydrates can affect the effectiveness of some diabetes medication.
- When taking diabetes medication, make sure that you remain hydrated and consider meals and portions.
If you have diabetes, the focus is often on eating a healthy diet in order to treat the disease better and show their meals with their medication. However, it is also the key to understand which specific foods and drinks interact with their medication. “Diabetes medication are designed in such a way that they work in a very specific way to control their blood sugar,” says Elaina Rosario, Pharm.d., CHP, BCACP, CDCES. “If you eat certain foods, you can change the way your medication is absorbed, how it works in your body or how quickly it is used up. This can sometimes make the medication less effective or in some cases too strong.”
Rebecca Emch, Pharm.d.Correct: “From a pharmaceutical point of view, food interactions with diabetes medication occur through several mechanisms.” The effects vary depending on the type of medication that you take. “For medication such as metformin, certain foods can affect absorption rates and bioavailability,” says Emch. However, this type of interaction is not as common, since the food in diet often does not directly affect the absorption of the medication. Instead, Emch says that it is more common that food has eaten against their intended purpose. “If you take a diabetes medication to reduce blood sugar and then consume food that cause fast glucose tips, you essentially create a tug of tug in your system,” she says. Other foods such as the high fat matters can also have an impact.
Because of these effects, Cari Riker, RDN, LDN, CDCES Emphasizes the meaning of a diet that helps you best manage your blood sugar and at the same time prevent medication interactions. “The selection of food that reduces these effects can help improve tolerance and effectiveness,” says Riker. We share which types of food with their diabetes medication and tips for safety can be.
1. Fat fat food
Some dietary fats and unsaturated fats are advantageous for health, but saturated fats are associated with an increased risk for type -2 diabetes. In addition, meals with high fat can influence the bioavailability of certain medications. “Fat high -fat food slow digestion that delays how quickly some medication is absorbed and when they become effective,” says Daria Zajac, RD, LDN. “Examples of fat-thick foods are full fat milk products, processed meat, fried food and baked goods such as cookies and cakes.” You can not only slow down how quickly a medication works, according to Rosario, but also the gastrointestinal side effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
2. Food with a high sugar sugar
“Restriction feed with high sugar state can help prevent fast spikes and accidents with blood sugar,” says Riker. This is because groceries with an added sugar can make it more difficult for your diabetes medication and intended. Emch points to high sugar feed such as sweets, lemonades and desserts as well as fruit juices as some of the greatest culprits when it comes to food that work against their diabetes medication.
“These do not prevent medication like metformin, but they make it difficult to maintain the stable blood sugar level,” says Emch. “It is like trying to save water from a boat while someone else fills up more water.” This does not mean avoid all foods with carbohydrates and sugar. Instead, concentrate on full food sources of carbohydrates, which are also natural sources of fibers such as beans and legumes, whole grains as well as entire fruit and vegetables. “The quality and quantity of the carbohydrates is important,” says Riker.
3 .. Hochmaded and refined carbohydrates
Foods that are primarily carbohydrates and are also highly processed such as white bread, grain with high sugar, fries, pretzels, crackers and baked goods such as croissants, cookies and cakes can often cause an increase in their blood sugar. “If you take a quick -looking insulin or a medication with meals, this sudden tip can make it difficult for the medication to stay up to date, or it could lead to a sudden drop if the medication works too aggressively to dissuade it,” says Rosario.
“While your diabetes medication is designed for handling blood sugar, it is much easier to work effective if your blood sugar level remains more stable.” If you choose to include highly processed or sophisticated carbohydrates in your diet, this can help to combine it with protein or fat as part of a balanced meal. This combination can help to slow down the digestion that can prevent blood sugar tips.
However, most of the diet should not consist of highly processed carbohydrate sources. “The American Diabetes Association (ADA) expressly recommends that people with diabetes prefer to eat minimally processed carbohydrate sources with a high fiber with a high fiber,” says Joshua J. Neumiller, Pharm.d., CDCES, FADCES, FASCPPresident of Health Care & Education at the American Diabetes Association.
4. Caffeine
Medications that are in the class of SGLT2 inhibitors such as Jardiance, Steglatro and Farxiga by removing excess sugar over urine. The diuretic effect of these drugs can be reinforced by the diuretic effect of excess caffeine. This does not mean that one or two cup of coffee is concerned, but those who take these medication should consider to adhere to the recommended limit of 400 mg caffeine per day (or about three to four cups of coffee).
5. Alcohol
“Alcohol should be limited when taking diabetes medication,” says Zajac. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach or when meals skip can worsen the effect when taking diabetes medication. “Alcohol increases the risk of low blood sugar, especially for those who occupy insulin or sulfonyl urine because it affects the ability of the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream,” says Riker.
Riker also says that alcohol can worsen side effects such as nausea and digestive disorders when taking medication such as metformin. “For those of SGLT2 inhibitors (i.e. Jardiance, Farxiga), the dehydrate effect of alcohol can increase the chances of dehydration, low blood pressure and rare but serious complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).”
The following recommendations for limiting alcohol are essential for diabetes treatment. “The ADA recommends that people with diabetes consume alcohol in moderation by limiting the recording to ≤ 2 drinks per day for men and ≤ 1 drinks per day for women,” says Neumiller. “It is important that people with diabetes understand that hypoglycemia can be delayed after drinking alcohol and that blood sugar level should be carefully monitored to prevent serious blood sugar levels.” For these reasons, it is recommended that an alcohol recording with your doctor pharmacist will be discussed.
How to stay safe
With so many diabetes medication available today, it is difficult to obtain uniform recommendations for your diet and food selection. “Your pharmacist is a great resource to understand how you can best take your diabetes medication in terms of meals and whether certain types of food should be avoided with their prescribed medication,” says Neumiller. These tips can begin to make changes that are best suited for you.
Consider the time of meal: Make sure that meals and snacks are appropriate, depending on what is recommended for your medication, since different medications can have different effects. “Some medications have to be taken with the first bite of a meal, while others are taken 30 minutes before and others are taken with their dinner,” says Rosario. “The right time can influence how well the medication works.”
Stay hydrated: “The hydration is important, especially for those of SGLT2 inhibitors such as Jardiance or Farxiga, which can increase the loss of fluid and increase the risk of dehydration or electrolyte weight weight,” says Riker. Drink mainly water and other unsweetened drinks to promote optimal fluid intake.
Consider portion sizes: Some medication may require special attention to portion sizes than others. “For those on GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic, Trulicity or Victoza, large or with a high sugar court meal can worsen nausea or lead to dumping syndrome,” says Riker.
Monitor your numbers: “A tool with which you can monitor how food affects your blood sugar is a continuous glucose monitor,” says Rosario. “You are available with a recipe and a over -the -counter counter and offer a good insight into how food and diabetes medication influence your blood sugar levels.” If you monitor your blood sugar, you can identify trends based on the food and the time of your medication. “Pay attention to how to feel certain foods after eating. If you find a pattern of discomfort or unusual blood sugar readings after a certain meal, it is a good idea to speak to your doctor or a registered nutritionist,” says Rosario.
Consider all medication and nutritional supplements: “Other drugs and nutritional supplements can influence blood sugar or interact with diabetes medication. It is therefore important to take your full list of medication into account when planning meals,” says Zajac. Pharmacists are an important resource for patients in identifying potential interactions with food.
By managing diabetes, paying attention to when and what you eat and the time of your medication. You should adapt your diet to make space for the food that you enjoy and at the same time restrict those that are assigned to significant interactions with your diabetes medication such as those that are assigned with high sugar, saturated fat, highly processed carbohydrates and caffeine.
Monitoring your blood sugar is the best way to ensure that your current plan works for you. However, the search for the care of a registered nutritionist or another health service provider can be helpful to ensure instructions and support, especially if they are newly diagnosed. “In conclusion, it is important to work with your medical specialist in order to train about possible side effects of your medication so that you can better manage your blood sugar level and prevent side effects,” says Riker.
