To eat or not to eat, that is the question.

Following the instructions on medication can seem like such a hassle; some say take with food, others say to take on an empty stomach, and some don’t specify any food-specific requirements. Does it really matter?

While these instructions can seem annoying and unnecessary, it’s actually really important to follow them. Abiding by these rules will make sure you are getting the full benefits of your medication and not putting yourself in unnecessary risk.

In order for medicine to work in your body, it has to dissolve in your stomach. A lot of medicines can’t easily do this on their own, and the food really helps them out. If a medicine specifies that it needs to be taken with food and you don’t, the medicine simply passes through you without actually doing anything. Essentially, you’d just be throwing money down the drain!

On the other hand, certain medicines prefer hanging out with the food so much so that they don’t ever travel into your body to do their job. Instead they just follow the food through your intestines and pass right through you as well.

In other situations, the food actually allows too much of the medicine to get into your bloodstream at once. This can be dangerous for your health and lead to side effects.

Be sure to follow all of the instructions listed on your medicine, and ask your health care providers if you are confused about anything.