There are many ways that herbs and prescription drugs can affect the movement (kinetics) and effects (dynamics) of each other in the body. This includes changes in how each are absorbed, metabolized by enzymes in the liver and other organs, excreted through the kidneys and bowels, and how they interact with receptors that mediate their effects. Most often, unwanted herbal-drug interactions are a focus of interest when an herb is seen as a problem in interfering with the desired effects of a drug. To be fair, it is equally correct to state that a prescription drug may interfere with a well-applied herbal medicine.
Moreover, an optimal evaluation of a drug or an herb’s safety profile is best when it considers the context of an individual patient’s diet. Some drugs, in particular, may have varying safety issues that arise when diets change. For example, the safety profile of the anticoagulant drug warfarin may be significantly altered when vitamin K intake from diet exceeds about 150 mcg/d; therefore, a suggested strategy for reducing the risk of mishaps with warfarin dosing is to carefully maintain a consistent level of vitamin K intake in the diet.[1]
0 Comments