What Foods Should You Avoid With Viagra? The Essential Dos and Don’ts

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Starting a new medication, such as Viagra (sildenafil), often comes with questions about what to avoid. In addition to some medications, certain foods can interact with Viagra. Some of these foods can affect how Viagra works — causing it to build up in the body or be less effective. Others can worsen erectile dysfunction (ED) symptoms overall.

You can choose whether to take Viagra with or without food. But it’s a good idea to know which foods can impact it. We’ve got you covered with this guide on six foods to avoid when taking Viagra.

1. High-fat meals

Cheeseburgers and french fries can be a great combo for your taste buds. But this high-fat meal doesn’t mix well with Viagra. Foods containing a lot of fat can delay its absorption by about 1 hour. This shouldn’t make Viagra any less effective, but it does mean it would take longer for the medication to start working.

It’s best to separate high-fat foods from Viagra. One option is taking Viagra about 1 hour before a high-fat meal. Or you can take Viagra around 2 hours after eating foods containing a lot of fat.  

Common examples of high-fat foods to steer clear of around the time you take Viagra are:

• Fried foods

• Cheese

• Milk

• Ice cream

• Pork

• Lamb

• Coconut

• Cream

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Viagra works the fastest on an empty stomach. If you prefer taking Viagra with food, it’s best to choose low-fat options. Lentils, egg whites, and fruit are a few examples.

2. Alcohol

Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages can make it harder to achieve an erection. That’s why alcohol can make Viagra less effective. Drinking with Viagra can also lead to more side effects, such as flushing, headaches, and dizziness. It could even drop your blood pressure.

Heavy drinking also raises the risk of ED, both short and long term. For men, heavy drinking is consuming 5 or more alcoholic beverages in 1 day or at least 15 drinks in 7 days (1 week). This can affect nerve signals, blood flow to the penis, and mood — all of which are factors that contribute to an erection.

You can talk with your prescriber about what amount of alcohol might be OK for you to drink with Viagra. Keep in mind, though, there is no “safe” amount of alcohol to drink, and it may also depend on any other medications you’re taking or health conditions you have.

3. Grapefruit

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are known to interact with many medications, including Viagra. Grapefruit products can block a specific liver enzyme (protein) that normally breaks down Viagra. This can cause Viagra levels to build up in the body, potentially worsening the risk of Viagra side effects like low blood pressure and flushing.

There’s limited research, though, about how much grapefruit you need to consume for it to be problematic. One study found that drinking slightly more than 1 cup of grapefruit juice 1 hour before taking Viagra raised the concentration of the medication. The same held true when grapefruit juice and Viagra were ingested at the same time.

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At this time, eating or drinking large amounts of grapefruit is thought to be the biggest risk. Infrequently consuming small amounts of grapefruit products likely won’t have a big impact on how well you tolerate Viagra.

Good to know: Reach out to your healthcare professional about how much grapefruit is safe for you to have. This may depend on whether you’re taking other medications along with Viagra. For example, if you’re taking a statin cholesterol medication like simvastatin (Zocor, FloLipid) and Viagra, your prescriber will likely recommend avoiding grapefruit altogether. Grapefruit can triple your simvastatin levels.

4. Nitrate-rich foods

Taking nitrate medications — such as nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) or isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil) — with Viagra can cause a serious drug interaction. This combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure, so it’s best to avoid.

The research is less clear on nitrate-rich foods. There’s mixed evidence about whether foods that are high in nitrates consistently lower blood pressure. Naturally nitrate-rich foods include:

• Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, and kale

• Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower

• Beets

• Carrots

• Radishes

• Fennel

• Parsley

If you’re taking Viagra, it’s generally fine to enjoy these foods in moderation. Many nitrate-rich foods are nutritious and can be part of a balanced diet. Still, it’s best to check with a healthcare professional to see if you need to limit your consumption.

Good to know: Processed meats, such as deli meats and hot dogs, contain added nitrates. Your body breaks these additives down into chemicals called nitrosamines, which may be harmful to your health over time. Researchers are still studying how much of a risk these added nitrates pose. But it’s a good idea to limit processed meats since they have a lot of salt, which can affect ED (as discussed below).

5. Highly processed foods

Processed foods don’t directly interact with Viagra. But they can affect ED symptoms over time. Processed foods generally contain a lot of salt, which can raise your blood pressure. And high blood pressure can worsen ED.

Highly processed foods, also known as ultra-processed foods, are the ones to try to limit the most. Besides salt, they typically contain a lot of sugar, fat, and additives. 

These ready-to-eat foods can likely be found at your local supermarket. Here are common examples of ultra-processed foods:

• Processed meats, such as hot dogs and deli meats

• Flavored potato chips

• Soda

• Candy

• Packaged baked goods, such as cookies

• Chocolate bars

• Instant ramen

• Pretzels

• Fruit drinks

6. Refined carbohydrates

Similar to highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates don’t impact Viagra directly. But they can worsen ED in some cases, especially over time. Refined carbohydrates have been processed to remove the healthy components, such as nutrients and fiber.

These foods can raise your blood glucose (blood sugar) over time. This may contribute to a variety of health conditions, like diabetes and heart disease, that can raise the risk of ED.

Try to limit these popular foods that contain refined carbohydrates:

• Soft drinks

• Pastries

• Corn syrup

• Brown sugar

• Candy 

• Cookies

• White rice

What foods should you avoid or minimize with Viagra?

High-fat meals are the main types of foods to avoid when taking Viagra.

Some foods don’t need to be completely off your plate, but it’s still smart to limit your consumption. Try to minimize alcohol, grapefruit products, and highly processed foods. Refined carbohydrates should also be scaled down. And it’s a good idea to reduce added nitrates, especially if the foods that contain them aren’t nutritious otherwise.

What are the best foods to eat with Viagra?

The best foods to eat with Viagra are those that support healthy, strong erections. Research shows that sticking with a Mediterranean diet may prevent or improve a variety of health conditions, including ED. This diet focuses on plant-based foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins. The Mediterranean diet also limits many of the foods to avoid when taking Viagra. 

Here are examples of foods that fit into the Mediterranean diet:

• Beans

• Lentils

• Whole grains

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Nuts and seeds

• Herbs

• Olive oil 

• Fish

• Poultry

• Eggs

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Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPh, PACS

Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist in Florida. She has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 15 years and is currently a medical writer.

Edited by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

​​Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. Ulrich’s experience includes direct patient care in hospital and community pharmacies.

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