Eaten by many people for breakfast, grapefruit is one of the star fruits of pressed juice. However, although it is rich in vitamins C and A, antioxidants and minerals, it can be very dangerous to your health under certain circumstances. As many health professionals point out, this citrus fruit should be restricted if consumed while taking certain medications.
Concretely, as indicated by the French network of regional pharmacovigilance centers, grapefruit is an enzyme inhibitor. This means that it acts on certain enzymes in the human body that metabolize drugs in the gut and liver.
Once inhibited, these enzymes are no longer able to convert the drug to elimination, which is then found in excess in the blood. This accumulation can lead to overdose and therefore more or less severe side effects depending on the drugs and the people.
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The effect can last up to three days
Note that as little as one glass of grapefruit juice (250 ml) can increase the concentration of the drug in the blood, and the effect can last for three days or more. Therefore, even if a person drinks the juice in the morning and takes the drug before bedtime, the concentration of the drug in the blood may change.
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Health authorities recommend consuming grapefruit with certain cholesterol medications (atorvastatin, simvastatin); Immunosuppressants or anti-rejection drugs prescribed after transplant (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, temsirolimus); certain cardiology medications (larcanidipine, dronedarone, ivabradine, aliskiren, verapamil, ticagrelor); Certain antidepressants (sertraline) or anxiolytics (buspirone). but also certain anticancer drugs (regorafenib); Certain medicines for erectile dysfunction (avanafil, vardenafil) or carbamazepine (an anti-epileptic drug that can be used to treat facial neuralgia or bipolar disorder) and halofentrine (an anti-malarial drug).
If in doubt, it is strongly recommended to talk to your doctor or carefully read the instructions for the drug in question.
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