Also known as grapefruit, grapefruit has a pale yellowish white or pink flesh that is tender and juicy. It contains less sugar, can remove acne, and its own vitamins C and e have health benefits on the skin, so it is widely popular with women. However, there are also many considerations for eating grapefruit. In addition to not eating with foods such as carrots, cucumbers, pork liver and crabs, extra care should be taken not to take with certain medicines.
Ms. Wang, 60, of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, has low blood pressure and needs to take medication to control it. Recently, after eating grapefruit, Ms. Wang actually caused hypotension shock and almost died, and after rescue, she turned the crisis into safety.
It is understood that current studies have shown that there are more than 85 drugs that interact with grapefruit, of which 43 may have serious side effects. Doctors recommend that patients who take the medicine want to eat grapefruit, it is best to take it after 72 hours of taking the drug.
What medicines will grapefruit affect?
Common medications that easily interact with grapefruit include:
Certain statin lipid-lowering drugs: such as atorvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin, etc.;
Certain heart rate control drugs: such as amiodarone, etc.;
Certain calcium channel blockers such as antihypertensives: such as verapamil, nifedipine, felotidipine.
Of course, not all drugs in a particular category interact with grapefruit. In some drug descriptions, the effect of grapefruit on the drug will be stated.
If you are concerned, you can consult your doctor or ask your doctor to change a drug of the same category that is not affected by grapefruit.
How does grapefruit affect drugs?
After the drug is taken by the human body, it first needs to be absorbed through the cells of the mucosa of the intestinal wall before it can be transported into the bloodstream.
Many drugs will be hindered at this step, and a large number of drug molecules will be inactivated by the metabolic enzymes in the cells of the small intestine, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of drugs entering the blood circulation. Obviously, if these metabolic enzymes in the small intestine are reduced or their activity is reduced, the amount of drugs that are absorbed into the blood will increase accordingly.
Some of the ingredients contained in grapefruit juice, such as naringin, furan coumarin, etc., can significantly inhibit the expression and activity of the above metabolic enzymes in the cells of the human small intestine, thereby affecting the catabolism of the drug, the drug is inactivated in the small intestine, and the concentration of the drug in the body will increase significantly after taking the drug.
Moreover, the inhibitory effect of grapefruit juice on these metabolic enzymes can last up to 24 hours, that is, a cup (about 200 ml) of grapefruit juice or a grapefruit can inhibit drug metabolism for hours or even days. The more grapefruit is eaten, the more pronounced this inhibition becomes and the longer it lasts.
Even if grapefruit and related drugs are staggered, the effects of grapefruit cannot be completely avoided.
If you want to avoid the effects of grapefruit on drugs, the best way is not to eat grapefruit and related foods containing grapefruit ingredients during the medication.
Part of the source: Litchi News