The Canadian Medical Association Journal is reporting 43 different medications could have potentially deadly side effects when combined with grapefruit juice. According to the study,"Grapefruit-medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences", 85 drugs in total had potentially adverse health effects overall.
How Could Grapefruit Juice Be Dangerous
According to the study, grapefruits, limes, pomelos, and seville oranges could be dangerous to patients who consume these juices with certain medications. The reason is because these fruits contain a chemical known as furanocoumarin, which reportedly affects how some medications are absorbed in the body. As more of the medication's active chemical is absorbed into a patient's bloodstream, the following dangers could occur:
- kidney damage
- liver damage
- gastrointestinal tract bleeding
- respiratory or lung failure
- death
According to study researcher David Bailey, "Taking one tablet with a glass of grapefruit juice is like taking 20 tablets with a glass of water."
Protect Your Health
Many of the popular drugs which have adverse reactions do not publish health warnings that juices such as grapefruit juice could be potentially deadly when consumed with medication. The study names drugs such as:
- Cholesterol drugs Zocor and Lipitor
- Blood pressure medications Nifediac and Afditab
- Pain relievers such as oxycodone
- Cancer medications
- Urinary tract medications
- Heart medications
- Antibiotic medications