As the new year begins and we make resolutions to take better care of ourselves, some of the most popular goals made are to eat better ("go on a diet"), try fasting (intermittent or for religious reasons) and start taking extra vitamins or supplements.

Many of us would benefit from thinking more about what we eat and our health. But, as you create these better habits, it is important to also consider how these changes will affect any medication you may currently be on or any new ones you may start. The types, quantities and frequencies of food and vitamins we consume can change how our medications work. Here are a few things to consider as you embark on your resolutions:

Absorption into our bodies

Some foods can either speed up or slow down how quickly a medication is absorbed.

High-fat meals can slow absorption, which would be important for medications that are time-sensitive, like those used for diabetes. Conversely, some medications or vitamin supplements need high-fat foods for better absorption, like fat-soluble vitamins (e.g. vitamin A or E).

Diets that speed up travel time through the gut (e.g. all liquid diets) may cause a problem with absorption, as there may not be enough time for food and/or medication to break down and get fully absorbed.

Another example is dairy products, as these products tend to interfere with antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. Specifically, the calcium found in many dairy products can bind to some medications and decrease their overall effectiveness.

Metabolization, interaction within our bodies

Metabolism of medications happens primarily in the gut and liver and is usually required to allow the medication to process into your blood stream. This processing happens when enzymes break down or add components, or act as a transporter to the next destination.

If you eat something that also uses these same enzymes or transporters, there is competition between your food and medication, and not enough of these enzymes/transporters to go around.

One example of this is taking some cholesterol-lowering medications and drinking grapefruit juice. These two things interact in the stomach and make the medication too effective, as your body has a harder time breaking the medication down for elimination from the body, so the medication just keeps building up.

Another example would be the blood thinning agent, warfarin. Warfarin works by making the vitamin K dependent clotting factors work less well. If you are taking warfarin and also eating a lot of vitamin K (found in leafy greens like kale, spinach or broccoli), it can overwhelm the warfarin, and the warfarin won't work as well for preventing future clots.

Elimination from our bodies

We primarily use our liver and kidneys as "filters" for our body. This is the same process for medication as it is for anything we ingest. If our diet contains too many toxins, like alcohol or ultra processed foods, this can put a big burden on those organs, and they won't be able to eliminate waste products effectively.

Good communication with your health care team, especially your pharmacist, is key to better understanding how your new health resolutions will potentially affect your medications and health. Your pharmacist will understand these effects on your body and can coach you in a healthy direction.

Finally, as your weight changes, even as little as a five- to 10-pound loss can impact how your medications work in your body. As you meet your health goals, your pharmacist may support you and your physician with lowering medication dosages of your current medications appropriately to ensure you are not having ill effects, or simply remove them altogether.

* Damianne Brand-Eubanks, Associate Professor at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Yakima, is also a local practicing pharmacist. She enjoys teaching pharmacy and advocating for her students and her patients about their health.