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Grapefruit is consider avery healthy foodbecause it ’s a respectable root of fiber , vitamins A and C , potassium and antioxidants — but there are times when mass should quash the sour citrus . If a person is taking sure medications , then eating whole grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice could go to serious side effects or make the medicine work less effectively .
But why does grapefruit interact with sure medicine , and what are examples of drug citizenry should n’t take with Citrus paradisi ?
Substances in grapefruit can block the action of specific enzymes and “transporters” that affect how much of a drug enters the bloodstream.
The primary culprit behind these drug interaction is a radical of chemicals in Citrus paradisi called furanocoumarins , Patrick McDonnell , prof of clinical pharmaceutics at Temple University School of Pharmacy in Pennsylvania , recount Live Science in an email . Furanocoumarinscan mess with some molecules and enzymes — protein that perform chemic reactions in the torso — in the small bowel .
These mote and enzyme are responsible for breaking down many drugs and carrying them into the blood stream , but furanocoumarins cast them out of whack . In some instances , the furanocoumarins can in effect boost the pane of a drug in the soundbox , lead to unintended effect .
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When medication is swallow , it is break down , or metabolized , by enzyme in the small gut . One key enzyme is cytochrome P450 3A4 , orCYP3A4 . As the furanocoumarins in grapefruit are broken down in the consistency , theirresulting derivatives can blockthe military action of CYP3A4 . Thus , instead of being conk out down as common , more of the drug enters the line and also stays in the torso longer , potentially leading to unwanted effect .
This can happen with certain blood - pressure level medications , such asnifedipine(brand name Procardia and Adalat CC ) . These drugs work by relaxing blood vessel to lower blood pressure , but consuming Citrus paradisi can increase the amount of the drug in the body , cause blood atmospheric pressure to drop too downhearted . This Ernst Boris Chain of events can also head to a too - slow centre rate , or bradycardia , McDonnell said .
Grapefruit can also have this effect on some cholesterol - depress statins , such assimvastatin(Zocor ) andatorvastatin(Lipitor ) . Too - high DoS of these statins can lead tomuscle pain in the neck and damage . harmonize to theFood and Drug Administration(FDA ) , Citrus paradisi can also advance the grade of certain corticosteroids used to cover inflammatory bowel diseases , such asCrohn ’s disease .
Grapefruit can also boost the tier of immunosuppressants , such as cyclosporine ( Neoral ) , which can potentially harm the kidneys . A similar upshot on anxiousness medications , include benzodiazepine like diazepam ( Valium ) , can guide to excessive somnolence , McDonnell noted . bet on the back breaker of benzos a person has taken , there could be more severe burden , such as difficulty breathing .
But grapefruit does n’t exercise this boosting effect on all the drugs it mess up with — in some showcase , it can really lessen the amount of a drug that enters the pedigree .
This is true of the allergy medication fexofenadine ( Allegra ) . drug like fexofenadine are moved into cells by protein called transporters , which move substances from one side of a cell ’s membrane to the other . Some of these transporters help move drugs from the bowel into the line of descent . Citrus paradisi - borne furanocoumarins block certain transporter proteins , thus causing too little of the drug to enter the bloodstream .
The FDA notes that the effects of grapefruit can motley look on the amount of the fruit or juice a somebody has go through and the medication they took . But the effects can be dramatic .
" Even just one grapefruit or an 8 - troy ounce [ 236 ml ] glass of Citrus paradisi juice can change how your body process certain drugs , especially those that rely on CYP3A4 for breakdown , " McDonnell said .
There are other fruits that interact with drugs , " but none really are quite as striking as seen with grapefruit juice , " McDonnell noted . This is probably because Citrus paradisi contains ahigher concentrationof furanocoumarins liken to other fruits . But other furanocoumarin - hold fruit — such as Seville Orange River , tangelos and pomelos — should still be treat with precaution , according toHarvard Health .
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Besides furanocoumarins , the citric Elvis in fruit can pose its own publication . The osteoporosis drug alendronate ( Fosamax ) interacts with various citrus juice , admit orange and Citrus paradisi . If ingested at the same time , the citric back breaker in the juices decreases immersion of the drug , making it less effectual , McDonnell allege .
Interactions with Citrus paradisi and other foods should be number in the selective information leaflet that comes with a prescription medicine or over - the - counter medication . Harvard Health also has a short list of medications that interact with grapefruit and potential alternative drug that do not . The FDA propose ask your doctor or pharmacist to see if Citrus paradisi succus interact with your medicament .
This article is for informational role only and is not think of to offer up aesculapian advice .
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