Abstract
Previously, we have reported that some consumers who are using Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) to treat underlying diseases concomitantly use medicines for which similar health benefits are claimed. Therefore, it is possible that inappropriate usage of FOSHU might cause health problems under these circumstances. To clarify this situation in detail, we conducted a questionnaire investigation of FOSHU users who also take medicines concomitantly. The proportion of consumers using FOSHU to treat their diseases was found to increase with age, and was significantly higher among attending patients than among individuals not seeking medical attention. Although only 14.6% of individuals using FOSHU and medicines concomitantly disclosed this to their physicians, 10.3% of them suffered from health problems such as diarrhea, astriction, or abdominal pain. As most FOSHU have the form of common food, the possibility of their interaction with medicines might appear to be low. However, consumers who take medicines need to disclose their use of FOSHU to physicians in order to avoid any health problems resulting from such concomitant use.
