When you take a pill, it’s easy to flush it down with whatever is around, but it turns out that not all beverages are created equal. A new study shows that some beverages can dissolve the safety coating on many medications, releasing the medicine too early in the digestive tract. This results in the medicine breaking down before it can be absorbed by the body. These beverages include:
• Mineral water, which is too alkaline
• Alcoholic drinks
• Hot drinks like coffee and tea
• Acidic beverages like grapefruit, orange or apple juice
• Dairy beverages like milk
Scientists say plain water provides minimal risk of interfering with either dissolution or absorption.
