Drug-Nutrition Interactions and the Brain: It’s Not All in Your Head

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The interactions between nutrition and medication can be numerous with potential impact on health outcomes. Several subtypes of drug-nutrition interactions exist. Each of these interaction subtypes may influence patients receiving medication for neurologic disorders. After defining drug-nutrition interactions, this review will describe the various types using a handful of widely used central nervous system agents as examples. Recent Findings: Medication may be the object of interactions perpetrated by a specific meal, a food component, a nutrient, or nutrition status thereby altering drug disposition and clinical effect. On the other hand, drugs can influence nutrition status generally or the status of specific nutrients by any number of mechanisms. Summary: Individuals using medication for neurologic disorders are at risk for drug-nutrition interactions of all types.