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Grapefruit and grapefruit juice have been found to interact with numerous drugs, in many cases resulting in adverse effects. [4] This happens in two ways: one is that grapefruit can block an enzyme which metabolizes medication, [5] and if the drug is not metabolized, then the level of the drug in the blood can become too high, leading to an adverse effect. [5]
[19] [31] For drugs recently sold on the market, drugs have information pages (monographs) that provide information on any potential interaction between a medication and grapefruit juice. [19] Because there is a growing number of medications that are known to interact with citrus, [ 1 ] patients should consult a pharmacist or physician before ...
Grapefruit–drug interactions are common, as the juice contains furanocoumarins that interfere with the metabolism of many drugs. This can prolong and intensify the effects of those drugs, leading to multiple side-effects such as abnormal heart rhythms, bleeding inside the stomach, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.
Previously many drugs had been sold as patent medicines with secret ingredients or misleading labels. Cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and other such drugs continued to be legally available without prescription as long as they were labeled. It is estimated that sale of patent medicines containing opiates decreased by 33% after labeling was mandated. [11]
Naringenin is a flavanone from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. [2] It is commonly found in citrus fruits, especially as the predominant flavonone in grapefruit. [2]The fate and biological functions of naringenin in vivo are unknown, remaining under preliminary research, as of 2024. [2]
This prevents oxidative metabolism of certain drugs by the enzyme, resulting in an elevated concentration of drug in the bloodstream. Under normal circumstances, the grapefruit juice effect is considered to be a negative interaction, and patients are often warned not to consume grapefruit or its juice when taking medication.
Grapefruit decreased drug metabolism in humans, which likely represented the first clinical example of a food producing such an effect. Clinically, the concern is that a single judicious amount of grapefruit ingested even many hours beforehand would noticeably boost oral drug bioavailability and cause overdose toxicity.
The Grapefruit-drug interaction article lists Levothyroxine as one of the drugs whose absorption is affected by grapefruit, but the only readily available research online, which is the one cited, ([1]), concluded that "Grapefruit juice may slightly delay the absorption of levothyroxine, but it seems to have only a minor effect on its ...