Grapefruit and medication: A cautionary note
Curated News:
By Timberlake Dental curated from HarvardHealth.com
– Image Courtesy of Flickr -Liz West
“Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are healthful, providing enough vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and other nutrients to earn the American Heart Association’s “heart-check” mark. That’s the good news. The bad news is that grapefruit juice can interact with dozens of medications, sometimes dangerously.”
See full article on HarvardHealth.com
Commentary:
As stated in the article, “Grapefruit’s culprit chemical does not interact directly with your pills. Instead, it binds to an enzyme in your intestinal tract known as CYP3A4, which reduces the absorption of certain medications. When grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme, it’s easier for the medication to pass from your gut to your bloodstream. Blood levels will rise faster and higher than normal, and in some cases the abnormally high levels can be dangerous.
A variety of medications can be boosted by grapefruit juice; the table below lists some of the most important along with related drugs that are less likely to be influenced.”
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