Physicians convincingly insist that there is a probable danger of taking a number of drugs in combination with grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit. Moreover, it is not recommended to eat the fetus not only a couple of hours before (or after) taking the medicine, but for as much as 72 hours!
Suspicions about the impact of grapefruit juice on the mechanism of absorption of various drugs arose for a long time, but recently there is new evidence that such exposure can lead to overdoses when taking pills.
A team of researchers from the Lawson Health Institute in Canada published an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, in which they write that a list of medicines that may be dangerous when taken with grapefruit juiceincreased from 17 in 2008 to 43 in 2012. The list includes drugs used for hypertension, cancer and suppression of the immune response after organ transplants, as well as statins and some tranquilizers, writes lifo.gr.
A group of grapefruit chemicals known as furanocoumarins neutralize an enzyme in the human digestive system that breaks down these drugs. As a result, splitting in the intestine does not occur. This means that organs such as the liver and kidneys are under a much greater toxic load than previously thought. That is, at times enhancing the effect of the drug. For example, if you lower the pressure, in combination with grapefruit, it can drop to a critical point (fatal).
Side effects may vary, including stomach bleeding, irregular heartbeat, kidney failure and sudden death. “One tablet taken with a glass of grapefruit juice can be equivalent to five or ten tablets washed down with water, which means serious intoxication of the body,” said Dr. David Bailey, one of the Canadian researchers, reports bbc.com.
Other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges, often used in jams, and limes can have similar effects. The representative of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society states: “Grapefruit isn’t the only food that can cause problems, for example milk can interfere with the absorption of some antibiotics.“.
Therefore, carefully read the information about the medicine on the insert in the package and do not put yourself and your loved ones in danger.
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