Grapefruit is a popular fruit that is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. The great taste along with the healthy vitamins and minerals can make it a healthy option for most situations.

Unfortunately, this fruit can also have some unwanted interactions with popular medications, which is why it should be avoided by some people.

Depending on what type of drugs you are prescribed, the grapefruit can have a direct impact on its effectiveness. With most of the affected drugs, the grapefruit will actually cause more of the medication than intended to enter the bloodstream. This, of course, can cause a variety of issues for the person taking it.

When someone eats the grapefruit, or just drinks its juice, they will be getting a compound known as furanocoumarins. These compounds are broken down by an enzyme in the intestines called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4).

The resulting products will then bind to the enzyme, which prevents it from breaking down the drug before it enters the bloodstream. With more of the drug being present, more of it enters the bloodstream than was intended by the doctors, which can cause serious problems.

On the other hand, other types of drugs can have their potency reduced by eating grapefruit.

This is because certain transporter proteins, which are responsible for bringing nutrients (and in this case, the drugs) to the bloodstream, are blocked. When this occurs, the drug will be less effective than it otherwise could be.

If you are someone who loves grapefruit or even eats it once in a while for the health benefits, you will need to be careful. Talking to your doctor about whether or not it is safe to eat this fruit on your medications is essential.

Who knew that grapefruit could have such a huge impact on drugs?

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