Five Foods To Avoid Before A Drug Test
If you’re facing a drug test, and any sort of positive result could prove problematic, then avoiding foods that could trigger a false positive is desirable. What we’re going to do here is look at five foods to avoid before drug test-taking.
But as well as foods, I’m also going to tell you about the most common thing that causes false positives. Something most of us take, and very few of us realize can fail us a drug test because it causes false positives for several substances.
Is It Really True That Food Can Trigger A False Positive Drug Test Result?
Some people think it’s a bit of a lie that food can produce false positives during a drug test.
But it is true. The reason is that some foods, when broken down, can closely mimic substances found after you’ve taken drugs, which when tested highlight that fact.
It’s absolutely critical if you fail a drug test that you definitely know you haven’t used any supplements, or aren’t on any medications that could have triggered the false positive, and that you look at the food you have eaten in the few days leading up to a drug test.
1. Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds can produce a false positive for opium and morphine, basically opiates. Poppy seeds are the basis of making opium, and eating even a moderate quantity of them can trigger a false positive result in a drug test.
The foods which can contain poppy seeds are more varied than many people think. Poppy seeds can be present in significant quantities on top of bread rolls, but also in cakes, muffins, and many other baked goods. They can also be found in significant quantities in granola, and even in salad dressings.
But poppy seeds are so well known as being able to cause a false positive that in 1998 the federal regulations in the USA were changed to increase the cut-off rate from 300 ng/mL to 2000 mg/mL, wiping out 99% of the chance of testing positive for opiates when eating poppy seeds.
However, some labs do still use the lower cut-off rate, which means you could still get a false positive from eating poppy seeds in rare instances. As little as a teaspoon of poppy seeds is enough to trigger a false positive at this low level, and that many in crushed form can be found in a single large cookie.
I will also point out here that kratom is another substance that can be detected as an opiate. It is basically an opiate but isn’t detectable on drug tests as kratom. But a large enough dose can trigger a false positive for opiates like heroin or opiate medication.
2. Hemp Seeds And Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are often found in granola bars, and they can be present in high enough quantities to produce a false positive on a drug test for marijuana use.
CBD oil is also something that can trigger a false positive for marijuana, and there is a growing problem with this because more and more people are using CBD oil therapeutically.Even though there’s no THC present, because they are cannabinoids, they can produce waste metabolites that are so similar in structure to THC metabolites, that the drug test will pick them up as marijuana metabolites.
3. Tonic Water (Quinine)
Tonic water is one of the most surprising things that you can consume which could produce a false positive drug result.
Tonic water contains quinine, and it was originally consumed in places like India because of its natural antimalarial properties.
Although not an illegal substance itself, quinine is used in the production of heroin, it often cut with it. So often does this happen, that some drug tests actually look for high levels of quinine to point to heroin use, even if that person has managed to get below the legal cut-off point for heroin use?
This isn’t going to be a problem for most people, but if you go out on a bender the night before a drug test and have a dozen gin and tonics, you could test positive as a heroin user.
4. Overripe Fruit And Yeast
Not all drug tests just look for drugs. People commissioning the test can pay to have panels added on as they like, and some employers have the alcohol drug test panel added in.
Overripe fruit and yeast can create ethanol, which can bring a false positive up on a panel drug test.
It’s been known for people who have eaten a large pizza just prior to going for a drug test to fail it for their presence of alcohol. That’s because of the amount of yeast in a pizza, which can produce ethanol in the mouth, which stays there for a few hours.
The advice is if you think you are facing a drug test that contains an alcohol panel, don’t eat fruit or anything containing yeast in it for 24 hours leading up to the drug test.
5. Ibuprofen
There aren’t actually that many foods that you should avoid before a drug test, so I decided it was important to add ibuprofen in a number five because of the number of people who fail drug tests because of it. It’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It’s used by millions of people around the world every day, and it’s definitely the cause of many false positives in drug tests.
Because of the way interacts in urine, it can produce false positives for cannabis, PCP, and barbiturates. In a study on 60 subjects, people taking above 800 mg of ibuprofen a day were found to be highly susceptible to failing drug tests for cannabis, PCP, or barbiturate use.
In fact, even below 800 mg barbiturate use has been flagged up in drug tests.
You will be asked before you submit your sample during a drug test if you are using any medications, and they often specifically mention ibuprofen. If they don’t, it’s something you definitely need to mention because it can flag a false positive.
If you have taken eight 200 mg tablets the day before your test because of an inflammatory condition, then it’s definitely something you need to mention before you submit your sample.
If you are worried about taking a drug test, check my posts about synthetic urine, detox pills and detox drinks.
