Why Does Grapefruit Interact with Medications?

Grapefruit is loaded with furanocoumarins, organic compounds that alter the functioning of the enzyme cytochrome PP450 isoform CYP3A4. This enzyme helps the body break down or metabolize certain medications. For this reason, disrupting and inhibiting it is more likely to affect how medications are metabolized, causing interactions.

What Is Happening Physiologically?

Furanocoumarins inhibit receptors available in particular drugs, forcing the molecules of these drugs to bind to targets out of the intended action site. This results in serious health problems.

What Are the Risks?

Chugging down grapefruit under certain medication is more likely to leave you with gastrointestinal bleeding, respiratory depression, rhabdomyolysis, and nephrotoxicity.

What Are the Medications?

Medications that interact with grapefruit products include;

Statins
Calcium-channel blockers
Immunosuppressants
Sedatives
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors

How Do You Know If Your Medication Interacts?

Use a drug interaction checker to find out if your drug interacts.

Should You Eliminate All Grapefruit?

As a registered pharmacologist, I strongly suggest you cut friendships with all grapefruit products, especially if you are under any of the above medications. Some people think taking grapefruit and any of the above medications at different times is a good idea. From a pharmacologist’s point of view, this does not stop the interaction.

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Ieva Kubiliute

Psychologist and a Sex and Relationships Advisor at shopgiejo.com

Ieva Kubiliute is a psychologist and a sex and relationships advisor and a freelance writer. She's also a consultant to several health and wellness brands. While Ieva specialises in covering wellness topics ranging from fitness and nutrition, to mental wellbeing, sex and relationships and health conditions, she has written across a diverse range of lifestyle topics, including beauty and travel. Career highlights so far include: luxury spa-hopping in Spain and joining an £18k-a-year London gym. Someone’s got to do it! When she’s not typing away at her desk—or interviewing experts and case studies, Ieva winds down with yoga, a good movie and great skincare (affordable of course, there’s little she doesn’t know about budget beauty). Things that bring her endless joy: digital detoxes, oat milk lattes and long country walks (and sometimes jogs).

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