Grapefruit and juices from it are a popular part of breakfast in which many people are taking drugs for chronic diseases. Even though the grapefruit and juice of this fruit are very healthy foods, people taking medicines should avoid them. Especially if they take medicines for high cholesterol or irregular heart rate. Grep contains an enzyme that prevents the removal of these drugs.
Dr. Xand Van Tulleken claims that people taking certain medicines should be careful when eating this fruit as well as his juice or jam from grapefruit because This could affect the effect of drugs a few days after consumption.
“If you eat grapefruit and take regular medication you should definitely be alert And know what is happening because grapefruit can be dangerous. When we take medication, our body decomposes them so that we can exclude them after their effect – Thus, grapefruit can stop the disintegration of medicines, so you get a very high dose, and this can have quite toxic effects, ” Varuje Doktor van Tulleken.
As examples he cited medications For cholesterol statins, blood pressure drugs, psychiatric drugs, immunosuppressants that are used, for example, in patients who are organ donors, and drugs that regulate irregular or accelerated heart rateso -called. antiarrhythmics.
“Half a glass of grapefruit juice can be enough to change the way you process the medicine for many days. I would say that if you are taking any medicines regularly, consult your pharmacist or GP before you eat Grapefruit, ”Van Tulleken added.
Grapefruit contains compounds called furanocoumarins that can interfere with an enzyme in a small intestine called CYP3A4. This enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of almost half of all medicines, allowing them to be properly absorbed in the body.
