Don't Let Your Holiday Dinner Drug You By Dr. David "Doc" Eifrig The biggest threat to your health isn't just in your medicine cabinet – it might be right at your dinner table... For many folks, the holidays are a time for get-togethers and overindulging in big meals. Things you know are likely to hurt your waistline (and your overall health). But everyday foods – even healthy, nutritious ones – do damage… That's because they can blunt, block, or amplify medications that you're taking. And the stakes are high for one group of people in particular: older adults. As we age, we're more likely to face chronic health conditions that warrant a prescription or two. It's estimated that about 90% of seniors take at least one prescription medication... and 43% take more than five different drugs on the regular in what's called polypharmacy. Add too much of certain foods into the mix, and that meal can turn your otherwise safe and effective medication into a dud – or even a dangerous overdose. So today, we'll go over a few common food-drug interactions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, just in time for the holidays... Older adults get hit by food-drug interactions the hardest, mainly due to two reasons. The first one is the polypharmacy problem I mentioned. The second consists of age-related changes to our organs, like reduced liver and kidney function (i.e., the organs responsible for detoxifying and excreting harmful stuff), slower metabolism, slower digestion, reduced nutrient absorption, and being more sensitive to drug levels. With so many variables, that means a lot more unpredictability. Food can affect drug absorption. Increasing or decreasing absorption then speeds up or slows down how quickly a drug enters your bloodstream. Certain foods can also affect how liver enzymes and transport proteins function, which in turn, can change how that drug gets activated or broken down. (Speaking of your liver, it's worth remembering that this is your body's workhorse, a crucial organ for detoxifying your blood. And the most common type of liver disease affects a third of Americans. What's more, it isn't even caused by alcohol, nor is it from eating too much fat. I recently dispelled some of the myths surrounding this disease and shared some of my tips on how to avoid or mitigate the damage for existing Retirement Millionaire subscribers. If you haven't joined yet, get started here.) Here's a list of common foods that you nosh on, and how they can tango with that daily pill you pop: -
Grapefruit: Inhibits a major drug-metabolizing enzyme called CYP3A4, which causes blood concentration of many drugs to spike. Common ones include heart and blood-pressure drugs, statins, and organ-transplant medications. -
Tyramine-rich foods: Can build up and cause dangerously high blood pressure in folks taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor ("MAOI") antidepressants (which prevent tyramine breakdown). Foods high in this naturally occurring compound are of the aged, cured, or fermented variety. One simple way to protect yourself from getting walloped by a food-drug interaction is to regularly do an audit of any and all remedies you're taking. That includes over-the-counter drugs, prescriptions, vitamins, and supplements you regularly take and have recently taken or discontinued. One way to start is to "brown bag" your meds. This term, coined in 1982, refers to chucking all of your prescriptions into a bag and having your doctor or pharmacist review them for any new recalls or dangerous drug interactions. Your pharmacist or provider can also reevaluate whether the dosage should be adjusted, check for dangerous drug-drug interactions, and, of course, warn you about potential food-drug interactions. If you want to make a list, jot down details like: -
The long National Drug Code ("NDC") made up of three groups of numbers (separated by dashes or asterisks) on your prescription label and over-the-counter packaging. It'll let your provider know of any recalls. The three groups, in order, identify: the "labeler" (i.e., the drugmaker), what the drug is, and the packaging (i.e., the size and quantity). -
How you take it (i.e., the form it comes in, like a shot versus a pill, and whether you take it with food). At the bare minimum, do a full medication review once a year at your annual physical (or biannual visit for most seniors). Even better, do it any time you see your primary care doctor or specialist. So as you head into a season of big holiday dinners, buffets, and potlucks, enjoy and savor your favorite meals – leafy greens included. Don't fear food – just understand how it works with your medications. Your pills may only work as well as the foods you pair them with.
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What We're Reading... Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement, Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
December 2, 2025
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