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Have you heard about the grapefruit diet?
During my childhood, it was popular. I don’t know how I I heard about it. It could have been my mother, her friends, the tv, the radio--I just know that grapefruits were everywhere.
Back then, mom served them for breakfast and sometimes lunch. She even started combining cottage cheese with grapefruit instead of my favorite pears. Grapefruit juice replaced our morning orange juice. I even recall a grapefruit cake.
FYI, grapefruit is not my favorite fruit. Only a thick layer of sugar makes it semi-palatable to me.
Despite my distaste for grapefruit, I can admit that it can be healthy. Researchers believe that grapefruit contains compounds that may reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries and of cancer. Some people actually drink grapefruit for these health benefits. And it might surprise you to learn, I know it does me, that some people claim to like it.
That may be a problem--and not just because of my prejudice against grapefruit.
For those of you that are grapefruit fans, you should know that grapefruit can directly or indirectly interaction with many medications, leading to potentially serious side effects. Researchers have found approximately 89 medications that react adversely with grapefruit.
This is how they think it works.
The wall of the small intestine contains enzymes that destroy many medications and prevent or slow down the absorption of some medications. Pharmacists and physicians know this. They calculate your dosage based on that knowledge.
Researchers believe that compounds in grapefruit called furanocoumarins may block these enzymes. If this enzyme is blocked, a higher dose of one of these medications may enter your blood stream. Higher medication blood levels may lead to toxic side effects. A glass of grapefruit juice can result in a maximum blocking effect of over 24 hours. Because the effects can last for so long, you can’t avoid potential interactions by avoiding taking the medication with grapefruit. For this reason, individuals taking medications that may interact with grapefruit juice should not drink or eat grapefruit at all unless specifically advised to do so.
Here is a list of some medications that don't play well with grapefruit. This is not an exhaustive list, and if you must have your occasional serving of grapefruit you should consult further with your pharmacist or prescribing physician about your medications.