Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

4 OTC Meds and Drinks You Should Not Mix

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Numerous medicines abound on the market today. They come in all shapes and sizes and are available in various brands. With this scenario, it can be hard to know which ones are safe to take.

Many people often rely on over the counter (OTC) drugs to cure common illnesses. Those who have certain conditions, however, may need to take more than just one medicine at specific times of the day.

Medicine and Alcohol - Lethal Combination

But did you know that it’s not always a good thing to mix OTC drugs and take them with liquids other than water? Here are some of them you should avoid.

Antihistamine and Grapefruit Juice

A research done at the University of Western Ontario in Canada has shown that citrus fruits and grapefruit products may have an effect on medications inside your body due to the chemicals they contain. Specifically, the flavonoid compound in grapefruit juice called naringin can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb drugs. [Read more…]

Does Alcohol Make You Fat?

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We all know that consuming too much alcohol is not a good thing. For one, too much of it can cause irreparable damage to the liver, which processes everything that goes through our bodies. However, is there any truth in the belief that alcohol can make people fat?

You’re probably thinking – now where did this come from? It’s just that the weekend has been a hectic one for me, in social terms. We started partying on Friday night and continued for the next two nights. Naturally, this morning has not been kind to me. It got me thinking about the various effects that alcohol can have on the body.

Anyway, I looked it up and found material wherein someone actually sent in a very similar question: Will wine make me fat?

So what was the columnist’s answer? Yes, it can make you fat. This is due to the simple reason that wine – and many alcoholic drinks – contain calories, lots of them to be exact. So imagine drinking 4 or 5 units of alcohol a night. If you do this several times a week, without really exercising and eating healthily, those calories can easily accumulate and make you gain weight.

As a matter of fact, fitness experts and nutritionists have gone as far as to say that if you consume large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis and then if you cut down to one or two units a week, you would most certainly see an effect on your weight! What this means to us is simple – watching your alcohol intake can make a difference to your weight loss program.