when good food BAD for you

1) Broccoli

Food

Broccoli

Problem

Prescription drug interaction and hyperoxaluria

What Happens

"Broccoli may interfere with your blood-thinning medications, putting you at greater risk for stroke," says Sandon. This is why it is very important to read the fine print about side effects on any medications you're taking and pay attention to warnings. Additionally, too much broccoli can cause hyperoxaluria, says Maurice A. Ramirez, DO, an emergency room physician and author of the soon-to-be-released book You Can Survive Anything, Anywhere, Every Time. "This is increased urinary excretion of oxalate caused by excessive intake of oxalate-containing foods (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc.) resulting in kidney stones," says Ramirez.

How Much Do You Have to Eat?

Hyperoxaluria will occur in anyone eating more than 1 to 2 cups of broccoli who has a predisposition to calcium oxalate kidney stones. For these individuals, even small elevations of urine oxalate will result in the formation of crystals in the urine. Enough crystals and you get stones. This is not unlike gout patients getting gout attacks (or kidney stones) from foods high in uric acid (fermented foods including beer, wine, alcohol, yeast bread, cheese, organ meats, shellfish, etc.).

2) Vegetables with Seeds

Food

Vegetables with seeds, such as cucumbers and tomatoes

Problem

Can exacerbate symptoms of diverticulitis

What Happens

Diverticular disease occurs when small pouches form in the colon, allowing nuts and seeds to get stuck. The disease is often caused by a diet with too little fiber and too little water. Although the best way to avoid the disease is to make certain you have ample dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble), if you do develop diverticulosis (which can lead to diverticulitis), you may be well-advised to initially follow a low-fiber diet, avoiding seeded fruits, vegetables, and most nuts and seeds, and gradually ramp up to a high-fiber diet that promotes soft, bulky stools, which pass more swiftly, says Jackie Keller, founder of NutriFit and author of Body After Baby: A Simple, Healthy Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight Fast (Avery/Penguin, 2006).

How Much Do You Have to Eat?

"As little as a cup or two of the wrong thing can cause gas, bloating, and great intestinal discomfort," says Keller.

3) Tomatoes, Potatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant

Food

Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant

Problem

Increased arthritis pain

What Happens

According to Carol Forman Helerstein, PhD, a clinical nutritionist for Chefs Diet (www.chefsdiet.com), "While these vegetables contain many healthy and protective antioxidants, they are not a good food choice for arthritics." The reason? "They are all members of the nightshade family of vegetables, which contain a chemical called solanine," says Helerstein. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison that's part of the plant's natural defense system. "All pain and all diseases, including heart disease, are related to an inflammation in the body. Arthritis is simply inflammation of the joints, and the chemicals in certain foods (especially tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant) cause a chemical response in the body, which is inflammation -- i.e., arthritis pain," says Helerstein. 

How Much Do You Have to Eat?

According to Helerstein, "Everyone's body is different and there is not an exact science. Some individuals may be more sensitive than others to certain foods."