Grapefruit And Medication Interactions: What You Need To Know

You're probably reading that title and thinking, "What on Earth are you even on about, Behk? Grapefruit?"

Well, hold on, let's back up. I know over the years, I'm sure you have someone in your life that loves the sour and sweet taste of grapefruit. I know my Dad used to eat some almost every day back in the 80s! But he hasn't in a long time. And neither has NJ. Why? Because grapefruit can mess with your health if you take medications.

But why does it mess with your meds? According to Scientific American,

All that research has identified that the primary culprit for these interactions is a group of naturally occurring compounds in grapefruit known as furanocoumarins, which inhibit the activity of key enzymes (known as cytochrome P450 3A4), which are critical for how humans metabolize drugs.

So what's the problem? HOW does it mess with medications? What does the .... furanocuwhatsit do?

So the idea is, to grow Grapefruit Without those compounds. Which...sounds a lot easier than it is. As of right now, those compounds make it a no no to have the fruit if you take statins, which are prescribed to lower cholesterol; blood pressure medications such as nifedipine and amlodipine; immunosuppressants like cyclosporine; anxiety medications; and drugs for treating irregular heartbeats. Blood thinners, certain cancer treatments, and additional antibiotics are also included.

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But, it's happening! It's in the early stages, where basically they've bred a certain mandarin orange with grapefruit, which could eliminate the problem. But it's going to take some time, because, well, they have to grow the trees first. And since they're just now in the seedling phase...that's gonna take a hot minute. The trees have to grow up, and then it takes a couple of seasons before they grow fruit.

So it might take a few years, but you might hear about this again before the decade is out. Til then, just keep following your Doctor's orders.

Grapefruitingly yours,
Behka

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