A leading Nigerian Pharmacist, Dr. Remi Olukoya, has warned that commonly consumed foods may be silently interfering with prescribed medications, potentially reducing their effectiveness or triggering harmful reactions without patients’ knowledge.
In a country where patients are prescribed an average of over three medications, Olukoya said a dangerous but largely ignored link between diet and drug performance is putting treatment outcomes at risk. Speaking during a health session recently in Lagos, she revealed that nearly 50 per cent of patients cannot identify a single food-drug interaction affecting their prescriptions.
The founder of PharmaPlan Systems explained that while adherence to medication is often emphasised, what patients eat alongside those drugs is just as critical. According to her, certain foods can alter how medications are absorbed, metabolised, or function in the body—sometimes weakening their impact or increasing the risk of adverse effects.
She highlighted the unique challenge within African and diaspora communities, where traditional diets play a central role in daily life. These culturally rooted foods, she noted, are rarely considered during prescription, yet they can significantly influence how drugs work.
Drawing insights from her book, “Foods that Clash with Your Prescriptions”, Olukoya pointed to familiar examples. Grapefruit, she said, is known to interfere with some cholesterol-lowering medications, while bitter leaf – a staple in many Nigerian homes may affect blood sugar levels and interact with diabetes treatments.
To help bridge the awareness gap, she introduced the Medi Meal Safe app, a digital tool designed to guide users on safe food choices while on medication. The app provides tailored meal plans for individuals managing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, while also alerting users to foods that should be avoided or consumed with caution.
“The goal is to prevent adverse reactions and improve treatment outcomes by helping people make informed dietary choices”, she said.
Participants at the session raised concerns about food sensitivities and the complexities of balancing traditional diets with medical advice, particularly the dual effects of foods like bitter leaf.
In response, Olukoya urged individuals to carefully consider their health conditions and medications before making dietary decisions.
She concluded by stressing that understanding the interaction between nutrition and medication is essential for safer and more effective healthcare, calling on both patients and healthcare providers to pay closer attention to diet as a critical component of treatment.