0 The New Complete Book of Food
Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella and toxoplasmosis. Cattle treated with antibiotics may pro-
duce meat contaminated with antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella, and all raw beef
may harbor ordinary Salmonella as well as T. gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis is particularly hazardous for pregnant women. It can be passed on to the fetus
and may trigger a series of birth defects including blindness and mental retardation. Both
Salmonella and the T. gondii can be eliminated by cooking meat thoroughly and washing all
utensils, cutting boards, and counters as well as your hands with hot soapy water before
touching any other food.
Decline in kidney function. Proteins are nitrogen compounds. When metabolized, they
yield ammonia, which is excreted through the kidneys. In laboratory animals, a sustained
high-protein diet increases the flow of blood through the kidneys, accelerating the natural
age-related decline in kidney function. Some experts suggest that this may also occur in
human beings.Food/Drug Interactions
Tetracycline antibiotics (demeclocycline [Declomycin], doxycycline [Vibtamycin], methacycline
[Rondomycin], minocycline [Minocin], oxytetracycline [Terramycin], tetracycline [Achromycin V,
Panmycin, Sumycin]). Because meat contains iron, which binds tetracyclines into com-
pounds the body cannot absorb, it is best to avoid meat for two hours before and after taking
one of these antibiotics.
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Meat “tenderized” with papaya or a papain powder
can interact with the class of antidepressant drugs known as monoamine oxidase inhibi-
tors. Papain meat tenderizers work by breaking up the long chains of protein molecules.
One by-product of this process is tyramine, a substance that constructs blood vessels and
raises blood pressure. MAO inhibitors inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body
that metabolize tyramine. If you eat a food such as papain-tenderized meat, which is high
in tyramine, while you are taking a MAO inhibitor, you cannot effectively eliminate the
tyramine from your body. The result may be a hypertensive crisis.
Theophylline. Charcoal-broiled beef appears to reduce the effectiveness of theophylline
because the aromatic chemicals produced by burning fat speed up the metabolism of the-
ophylline in the liver.