What foods should I eat when taking sertraline?

Most foods are fine with sertraline — the tyramine restrictions apply only to MAOIs, not SSRIs. Avoid St John's Wort and grapefruit (which raises sertraline levels), and limit alcohol especially when starting treatment.

Are there food restrictions when taking sertraline?

Avoid St John's Wort (serotonin syndrome risk) and grapefruit (raises sertraline levels), limit alcohol (amplifies drowsiness and undermines treatment), and moderate caffeine if it worsens anxiety. Most other foods have no restrictions.

What's best to eat with sertraline?

Most foods are safe with sertraline — there are no special dietary requirements. Avoid grapefruit (raises sertraline levels) and St John's Wort, limit alcohol especially when starting, and moderate caffeine if needed.

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Can I eat this with SSRIs?

SSRIs have few true food interactions — the ones that matter are alcohol, St John’s Wort, and (for some SSRIs) grapefruit.

Also sold as Cipramil, Contulen, Enalto, Felicium, Oxactin, Prozep, Prozit, Ranflutin, Seroxat. Brand names from the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices.

Type any food below for an instant verdict — we check 74 foods and drinks for SSRIs (5 to avoid, 61 to take care with) — or tap one below.

Quick answers

What foods should I eat when taking sertraline?: Most foods are fine with sertraline — the tyramine restrictions apply only to MAOIs, not SSRIs. Avoid St John's Wort and grapefruit (which raises sertraline levels), and limit alcohol especially when starting treatment.
Are there food restrictions when taking sertraline?: Avoid St John's Wort (serotonin syndrome risk) and grapefruit (raises sertraline levels), limit alcohol (amplifies drowsiness and undermines treatment), and moderate caffeine if it worsens anxiety. Most other foods have no restrictions.
What's best to eat with sertraline?: Most foods are safe with sertraline — there are no special dietary requirements. Avoid grapefruit (raises sertraline levels) and St John's Wort, limit alcohol especially when starting, and moderate caffeine if needed.

Grounded in the checker below and the full guide. Not a substitute for your pharmacist.

1 · What do you take?

SSRIsalso sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram

SSRIs have few true food interactions — the ones that matter are alcohol, St John’s Wort, and (for some SSRIs) grapefruit.

Alcohol amplifies drowsiness and works against treatment. St John’s Wort plus an SSRI risks serotonin syndrome — never combine. Grapefruit matters mainly for sertraline and fluvoxamine.

Read our full SSRIs guide →

2 · What do you want to eat or drink?

Tap a food to see the answer, or type any food or drink in the box above.

Foods to avoid with SSRIs· 5

Take care with SSRIs· 61

Fine with SSRIs· 8

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This checker summarises published guidance (NHS medicine pages, patient information leaflets and drug labels) for general information only. It is not medical advice, it is not exhaustive, and it cannot account for your dose, kidney function, other medicines, or health conditions. Always follow your prescriber, pharmacist, or the patient information leaflet — especially before changing what you eat or drink. See our editorial policy.

Each medicine on its own page

Medicines in this group with a page of their own, each with what its own NHS page says about food.

Food groups that matter with SSRIs

Every medicine each one affects, on one page.

Affected by the same foods as SSRIs.