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Drug Metabolism - Safe and Drug Free

Friday, March 30th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

We have heard this term ever since we were little kids” don’t do drugs!” There are more anti-drug lessons then you can probably remember.Â You probably know what most of the reasons are for not doing drugs.Â But the thing you may not know is the scientific point which regards drug metabolism.

When we put drugs in our system the drugs must be metabolized because they are xenobiotics, or foreign molecules.Â In order for us to get rid of the drugs they need to undergo a structural alteration, this is where drug metabolism comes in.Â Drugs get metabolize in the liver by enzymes, where they are changed into metabolites.Â What happens to the metabolites is the attached to other materials and then they are excreted it from the body.

Drug metabolism is the body’s reaction to the foreign substance that is invading it; however, it is sometimes necessary for the drug to be in the body, especially if it is being used to fight a disease or sickness.Â Scientists who develop antibiotics often face the problem that the drug metabolism will either act too quickly or not quickly enough when it comes to removing drugs from the system.Â Thus, the study of drug metabolism serves a practical purpose in today’s world.

Where Do The Drugs Go?

After drug metabolism has occurred, the drugs are excreted through the body.Â The drugs take different routes when leaving the body; most importantly, the kidney plays a major role in drug excretion.Â Other ways that drugs can be excreted include: through feces, saliva, sweat, and tears.Â Drugs can also be excreted from the body through breast milk.Â This is why women who are nursing are forbidden from using most drugs whilst they are nursing; while the drugs cannot harm them, they can cause a lot of harm to the baby.

How quick?

Drug metabolism and the rate that it occurs vary from person to person.Â This is one of the reasons why for most drugs, that there is a recommended dosage that is based on either weight or age.Â Some of the factors that affect the rate of drug metabolism are: nutrition, genetics, environment and age.

There is another factor that can influence the rate of drug metabolism and this is due to interactions that can occur with other foods, drugs or beverages.Â Here is an example, grape fruit juice has been known to reduce the metabolic rate of certain drugs.Â There are some other foods and drinks that can affect the metabolism of drugs: wine, beer, dried fruit, aged cheese, milk, smoked meats, cream and dairy.
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