Inter-relationships of nutrition and the metabolism of drugs

Abstract

Summary The possible inter-relationships of nutrition and the metabolism of foreign compounds are an important consideration in view of the widespread recurrence of primary malnutrition in the developing countries, and of secondary malnutrition in certain disease states in more affluent societies. The foreign compounds that may enter the body include drugs, food additives, pesticides and toxic substances contained in plant foodstuffs. These are all metabolized by hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes. The process of metabolism and the activities of the enzymes are affected by acute starvation, undernutrition, protein nutrition, deficiencies of minerals, vitamins, and lipids.