Foods to Avoid After Transplant
General food-safety guidance for life on anti-rejection medications.
Anti-rejection medications keep your new heart safe, but they also lower your immune system's ability to fight off foodborne illness, and some foods can interact with the medications themselves. Your transplant dietitian will give you a personalized list based on your medications and health history - the guidance below covers the general categories most transplant centers mention.
Food Safety Basics
Cook meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs thoroughly - avoid raw or undercooked versions (including sushi, rare steak, and runny yolks).
Choose pasteurized dairy, juice, and honey rather than raw or unpasteurized versions.
Wash produce well, and consider avoiding raw sprouts, which are harder to clean thoroughly.
Watch expiration dates and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Be cautious with unpasteurized or "soft-serve style" foods from buffets and salad bars, where food safety practices can vary.
The Grapefruit Family
Grapefruit, grapefruit juice, Seville (bitter) oranges, and pomelo can interfere with how your body processes common anti-rejection medications like tacrolimus and cyclosporine, potentially pushing levels higher than intended. Most transplant teams recommend avoiding this whole family of citrus rather than trying to guess a "safe amount."
Sodium, Sugar, and Weight
Steroid medications like prednisone can increase appetite, fluid retention, and blood sugar, so many recipients are asked to watch sodium and added sugar more closely than before. Logging your weight and blood glucose day to day can help you and your team spot trends early.
Alcohol and Supplements
Alcohol can interact with several transplant medications and add strain to the liver and kidneys, so ask your team what amount, if any, is appropriate for you. The same goes for herbal supplements and "natural" remedies - some, like St. John's Wort, are known to interfere with anti-rejection medications. When in doubt, check with your pharmacist or transplant team before adding anything new to your diet.
Have questions about how this applies to you? Contact your transplant team or care coordinator - they know your specific history and treatment plan.