Summary
Summary
Diet and nutritional status can have a major impact on a person’s health, and is a vital part of disease prevention and management. It is important to consider whether, and to what extent, an individual’s dietary intake is contributing to their current health status. It is important to consider each person individually, as there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
When discussing side effects of medicines and symptoms of disease, consider nutritional issues alongside medicines optimisation. Each patient should be viewed as an individual, and suggestions about dietary changes and nutrient supplements will need to be tailored to their individual circumstances. Conversations about nutrition should form a part of person-centred holistic care.
Micronutrient deficiencies can be caused by inadequate dietary intake, disease and interactions with medicines.
There are several types of interactions between medicines and micronutrients:
- Medicines can cause micronutrient deficiencies
- Medicines can increase some micronutrient levels, resulting in nutrient excess
- Vitamin and mineral supplements can have an impact on the efficacy or toxicity of medicines.
It is important to be able to recognise possible symptoms of a micronutrient deficiency. It may then be possible to treat the cause of the symptoms with a nutritional approach and resolve the symptoms entirely, instead of managing symptoms with medicines.