Food and medication

High-fibre foods and medication

Very high-fibre foods and fibre supplements can hold on to some medicines and reduce how much is absorbed. Keep them a few hours apart.

2 medicines on our checker are affected. Tap a medicine for every food and drink that matters with it.

Take care high-fibre foods with these medicines

  • Iron supplements · ferrous sulphate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate

    Bran and very high-fibre foods reduce iron absorption. Keep them apart from your dose.

  • Levothyroxine · thyroxine, synthroid, eltroxin

    Very high-fibre foods can reduce absorption. Keep them away from your dose.

Foods and drinks that count as high-fibre foods

  • Bran
  • Bran cereal
  • Psyllium husk
  • Fybogel
  • Linseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Walnuts
  • Fibre supplements
  • Methylcellulose
  • Sterculia

Common questions

Which medicines does high-fibre foods affect?
2 medicines on our checker: Iron supplements (take care), Levothyroxine (take care).
Which foods count as high-fibre foods?
Bran, Bran cereal, Psyllium husk, Fybogel, Linseed, Chia seeds, Walnuts, Fibre supplements, Methylcellulose, Sterculia.

General information from NHS medicine pages and drug labels, not medical advice. Always follow your prescriber, pharmacist or the leaflet with your medicine. How we check.