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Grapefruit growing in the grape-like clusters from which their name may derive. The evergreen grapefruit trees usually grow to around 4.5–6 m (15–20 ft) tall, although they may reach 13.7 m (45 ft). [1] The leaves are up to 15 cm (6 in) long, thin, glossy, and dark green. They produce 5 cm (2 in) white flowers with four or five petals.
A single glass of grapefruit juice can interfere with your body's ability to break down a medication. Here's how to protect your health. Grapefruit can interfere with certain medications
Important: If you're taking statins or medications for conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart arrhythmia, organ transplants, or allergies, it can be dangerous to eat grapefruit.
The effects last because grapefruit-mediated inhibition of drug metabolizing enzymes, like CYP3A4, is irreversible; [30] that is, once the grapefruit has "broken" the enzyme, the intestinal cells must produce more of the enzyme to restore their capacity to metabolize drugs that the enzyme is used to metabolize. [19]
It has a thicker rind than a grapefruit, and is divided into 11 to 18 segments. The flesh tastes like mild grapefruit, with a little of its common bitterness (the grapefruit is a hybrid of the pomelo and the orange). [4] [6] The enveloping membranes around the segments are chewy and bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded. [4]
"There are certain substances in grapefruit juice and grapefruit that may affect the way the body handles a medication," says Leonard. "This can result in fluctuating levels of a medication in the ...
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]
Grapefruit has been known to cause similar effects when taken with some antihypertensives, as well as other PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (generic Viagra) and vardenafil.