It seems like every day we hear about another seemingly healthy food that isn’t good for us. Dairy, wheat and eggs are commonly discussed ingredients. But what could possibly be the problem with grapefruit? It turns out that the popular citrus fruit is posing a health risk to some who regularly take prescription meds, and the number of interaction warnings for grapefruit keeps growing.
A new study found that grapefruit may react negatively with a growing number of prescription drugs and cause adverse side effects. Between 2008 and 2012 the number of medications that may have adverse side effects when interacting with grapefruit rose from 17 to 43.
Why does this seemingly healthy fruit pose such a problem? The fruit contains chemicals that can interact with certain drugs and make them more potent. Issues caused by mixing grapefruit and certain medications include acute kidney failure, respiratory failure, internal bleeding and sudden death. The chemicals, called furanocoumarins, act on an enzyme in the stomach that normally reduces the potency of medication. This can boost the absorbed dose of some drugs many times. The study shows that even a single helping of grapefruit consumed hours before a drug is taken can have an effect.
Some individuals on long-term medications may not hear this as news, but the sharp rise in the number of medications that can react adversely to grapefruit or grapefruit juice is worth noting. Medications that may interact poorly with grapefruit include those taken to treat anxiety, depression, allergies, HIV infection, seizures, heart rhythm abnormalities and high cholesterol. The increase, noted by scientists in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is a trend that researchers find disturbing.
Currently more than 85 drugs can interact with grapefruit, and 43 of those have the potential for serious side effects. Seville oranges, used to make marmalade, and limes contain the same active ingredients that cause the drug interactions.
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