A positive drug test can disqualify you for a job, create problems at school, or even cause legal problems for you. However, there are innocent and innocuous substances that can cause a drug test to show up positive. In this article, we’re going to give you four examples of foods you should avoid if taking a drug test. We’ll also give you information on where you could accidentally consume these foods, so you know what to avoid.
Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds can cause your drug test to come up positive for opioids. Your poppy seed bread, lemon and poppy seed muffins, and bagels that happen to have poppy seeds along with sunflower seeds on top of it could cause the drug test to be positive.
Wait at least three days after eating anything with poppy seeds to avoid problems since the compound could show up in your system for as long as 48 hours. You’re certain to test positive if you had a poppy seed bagel a few hours before the test. Perhaps you should switch to sesame seeds or sunflower seeds until you get that job.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds can cause you to test positive for THC, the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis. Hemp seeds are sometimes found in granola bars. You risk testing positive if you use hemp seed oil or drink hemp seed milk.
Another possible trigger is when you take B2 supplements made from hemp seed oil. The problem here is that THC is stored in your fat, so even if you stop eating it now, it could show up in drug tests for as long as thirty days. If you’ve already consumed foods like this and have an upcoming drug test, you could consider buying something like the Whizzinator kit.
Light, Fluffy Bread
Any food that contains yeast could cause a breathalyzer to wrongly register positive because yeast causes bread to rise by fermenting the sugar – one of which is alcohol. A common trigger for this is pizza, or specifically, pizza dough. Fortunately, this effect fades after fifteen minutes. And even if it triggers the test, it won’t be for a high amount, so unless you’re under zero tolerance for alcohol, there’s nothing to worry about. It could also trigger an interlock system, so be on the lookout for that.
Ripe Fruit and Fruit Drinks
Ripe fruit is in the process of fermenting. This can create enough alcohol for a breathalyzer to test positive. This issue can even arise when you drink fruit drinks that have had a chance to ferment.
Even tonic water can cause problems since it contains quinine. Quinine is occasionally used to cut drugs like heroin, so drinking something with quinine could cause the drug test to resemble that of a drug user. The solution here is to avoid gin and tonics for a few days before your next drug test. And don’t drink gin right before a test since it is alcoholic. It is safer to stick to water.
Conclusion
A surprising number of common foods and drinks can cause drug and alcohol tests to come up positive. Some only have an effect for a few minutes, while others can trigger false alerts for weeks.