What is grapefruit? How does it benefit your health? What are the potential side effects? Explore the complete guide to grapefruit, including its history, varieties, and nutritional value.

The History and Origin of Grapefruit

Grapefruit, a member of the Rutaceae family, is a citrus fruit that has a long and fascinating history. Originally believed to have evolved from a hybrid that originated in Jamaica, grapefruit was first popularized in the West Indies before making its way to the United States, where it was initially grown as a novelty plant in Florida. Today, grapefruit can be found in other subtropical warm climates, including Texas, Arizona, and California.

Grapefruit Varieties and Characteristics

Grapefruit trees can grow up to 20 feet tall and produce clusters of 12 to 20 fruits at a time. The pulp of the grapefruit varies in color from yellow to pink and red, with the darker shades containing more antioxidants. According to Purdue University, there are at least 10 known varieties of grapefruit, including Ruby Red, Redblush, Sweetie, Triumph, Duncan, Thompson, Foster, Paradise Navel, Marsh, and Oroblanco.

The Nutritional Value of Grapefruit

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a water-soluble nutrient that is essential for effective protein metabolism, wound healing, collagen maintenance, nerve communication, and muscle movement. A 1-cup serving of grapefruit contains 79 milligrams of vitamin C, just slightly less than the 98 milligrams found in the same serving size of oranges.

Potential Health Benefits of Grapefruit

In addition to its high vitamin C content, grapefruit has been associated with several potential health benefits. Studies have noted grapefruit’s positive metabolic effects, though there is no evidence that it alone can help burn belly fat. Grapefruit is also a rich source of antioxidants, which may help prevent free-radical damage and benefit skin health.

Potential Side Effects and Interactions of Grapefruit

While grapefruit is generally considered safe for most people, there are some potential side effects and interactions to be aware of. Grapefruit and its extracts can interact with certain prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as certain antihistamines. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit products, especially if you are taking any medications.

Grapefruit Juice vs. Whole Grapefruit

Grapefruit juice may be a more convenient way to obtain some of the nutrients from the fruit, but it’s important to be aware that some commercially available grapefruit juices may contain added sugars. Additionally, drinking the juice means you’re not getting the beneficial fiber of the whole fruit.

Does grapefruit burn belly fat?

While some studies note grapefruit’s positive metabolic effects, there is no evidence that grapefruit alone helps you burn belly fat (or any fat, for that matter). A grapefruit-only diet is not recommended, and if you’re concerned about your weight, it’s best to consult your healthcare team.

Is grapefruit a better source of vitamin C than other citrus fruits?

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, but it contains just slightly less vitamin C than oranges. A 1-cup serving of grapefruit has 79 milligrams of vitamin C, while the same serving size of oranges offers about 98 milligrams.

Is grapefruit good for your skin?

Grapefruit is added to many over-the-counter beauty products as an antioxidant-rich extract and for its citrusy scent. It may also benefit your skin by preventing free-radical damage. However, you’ll want to avoid applying pure essential oils to your face and make sure to dilute a few drops in a carrier oil first.

What’s the difference between grapefruit oil and grapefruit extract?

Essential oils go through more rigorous processing than grapefruit extract, in which they’re converted to therapeutic strength. Grapefruit essential oil is used in massages, yoga, mindfulness activities, and aromatherapy, while grapefruit extracts are used as supplements. Consult your doctor before using grapefruit oil or extracts.

Can I eat grapefruit or use grapefruit products if I’m taking medications?

Grapefruit (in whole and juice form) and its extracts and oils can interact with certain prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, such as certain antihistamines. It’s important to consult your healthcare provider before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit products if you are taking any medications.

Nutrition, Benefits, Side Effects, and More

What Is Grapefruit?

Whether you eat grapefruit for breakfast or turn to it for a refreshing snack, this bittersweet citrus fruit is a staple in many American households. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, known for edible fruit and aromatic leaves, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. The grapefruit goes by the scientific name Citrus paradisi, per Purdue University.

Grapefruit, like other citrus fruits, grows on trees. They tend to flourish in more tropical climates and when planted in sandy soil. The trees have dark green leaves and can grow up to 20 feet tall. The fruit they yield looks nothing like a grape: It has a yellow or blush rind with pulp that may be yellow, a very light pink, or a darker, deeper red. Each cluster on the tree produces 12 to 20 grapefruits at a time, Purdue notes.

Grapefruit trees are now grown in many parts of the United States, but the modern grapefruit we know today may have evolved from a hybrid that originated in Jamaica. It was originally popularized in the West Indies before making its way to the United States, per Purdue. It’s thought that the first U.S. commercial grapefruit was grown in Florida after enjoying a brief period as a novelty plant. Today, it can be found in other subtropical warm climates, including Texas, Arizona, and California.

More people began consuming grapefruit the 1970s largely because of its status as a “diet food.” As a result, grapefruit grew exponentially in popularity across the country. According to Purdue, some reports found that grapefruit was the fourth most popular fruit or vegetable among metropolitan New Yorkers in the 1980s.

Common Questions & Answers

Does grapefruit burn belly fat?

While some studies note grapefruit’s positive metabolic effects, there’s no evidence that grapefruit alone helps you burn belly fat (or any fat, for that matter). A grapefruit-only diet isn’t safe, either. If you’re concerned about your weight, consult your healthcare team.

Is grapefruit a better source of vitamin C than other citrus fruits?

Adding grapefruit to your diet can help boost your vitamin C intake. Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, but it contains just slightly less vitamin C than oranges. A 1 cup serving of grapefruit has 79 milligrams (mg) vitamin C, while the same serving size of oranges offers about 98 mg.

Is grapefruit good for your skin?

Grapefruit is added to many over-the-counter beauty products as an antioxidant-rich extract and for its citrusy scent. It may also benefit your skin by preventing free-radical damage. You’ll want to avoid applying pure essential oils to your face though — make sure you dilute a few drops in a carrier oil first.

What’s the difference between grapefruit oil and grapefruit extract?

Essential oils go through more rigorous processing than grapefruit extract, in which they’re converted to therapeutic strength. Grapefruit essential oil is used in massages, yoga, mindfulness activities, and aromatherapy. Grapefruit extracts are used as supplements. Consult your doctor before using grapefruit oil or extracts.

Can I eat grapefruit or use grapefruit products if I’m taking medications?

Grapefruit and drug interactions may be a concern. Grapefruit (in whole and juice form) and its extracts and oils can interact with certain prescription drugs. It may also interact with over-the-counter medications, such as certain antihistamines.

Types of Grapefruit

The pulp of the grapefruit varies in color from yellow to pink and red, Encyclopaedia Britannica notes. Generally, the darker the pulp, the more antioxidants the grapefruit contains.

According to Purdue, there are at least 10 known varieties of grapefruit, including:

• Ruby Red
• Redblush
• Sweetie
• Triumph
• Duncan
• Thompson
• Foster
• Paradise Navel
• Marsh
• Oroblanco

Grapefruit is also a popular fruit for juicing because it’s high in water, per Encyclopaedia Britannica. Grapefruit juice may be a more convenient way to obtain some of the nutrients from the fruit without having to deal with the rind and pulp. Be aware, though, that some types of commercialized grapefruit juice may contain added sugars. And keep in mind that if you’re drinking the juice, you’re not getting the beneficial fiber of the whole fruit.

Potential Health Benefits of Grapefruit

Like other citrus fruits, such as oranges and tangerines, grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. As the National Institutes of Health notes, this water-soluble nutrient is important for:

• Effective protein metabolism
• Wound healing
• Collagen maintenance to reduce signs of premature aging
• Nerve communication and muscle movement
• Promoting heart health

In considering these basic body functions, the NIH recommends most adults get between 75 and 90 mg of vitamin C per day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need even more than nonpregnant women, but not more than 90 mg. Because vitamin C is water soluble, any excess C in the body is removed in the urine, and this can occur after just one grapefruit.

Adequate vitamin C is also important to help prevent long-term health issues. Research has shown vitamin C plays a role in fending off chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer, cataracts, and heart disease. It may also help support your immune system and reduce the likelihood of a cold, per the NIH.

The high antioxidant content of grapefruit has made it a popular ingredient in beauty products. Research suggests antioxidants help your skin by reducing free radical damage that can lead to premature aging, which shows up on the skin as wrinkles, sagging, or dullness.

Grapefruit is also used in the farming industry, primarily for pigs and cattle. Some people also use the wood from grapefruit trees for firewood, furniture, and flooring, per Purdue.

As far as other health claims around grapefruit go, some people use grapefruit seed extracts and essential oils with the hope of treating medical ailments. For example, grapefruit flower extract is sometimes used for insomnia, while grapefruit leaf essential oils are used for antibiotic benefits, notes Purdue. But research backing these claims is limited. Also, essential oils are stronger and more processed than extracts. Health experts generally don’t recommend ingesting essential oils, Poison Control notes.

Can Grapefruit Help With Weight Loss?

During the 1970s, the “grapefruit diet” began making headlines in the United States and gained a reputation as a good way to lose weight. While health experts widely regard it as an ineffective type of fasting diet, people who have tried this eating approach use it for the purpose of losing 10 pounds or more in a short amount of time, according to Purdue. On the grapefruit diet, you consume large quantities of grapefruit and grapefruit juices in an effort to burn more fat, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

But like most other fad diets that focus on a low calorie intake, the grapefruit diet hasn’t been proven to be safe or effective. While grapefruit is a healthy food choice, eating too much of any one food — even fresh fruits — won’t provide your body with the variety of nutrients it needs. Too much grapefruit can also cause gastrointestinal reactions, such as diarrhea or nausea, due to its high vitamin C content, per the NIH.

While grapefruit consumption alone won’t help you burn more fat, research does show that including grapefruit in your diet can help you shed excess pounds. For example, researchers behind one small randomized controlled trial found that participants with obesity who ate half a fresh grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.6 kilograms (kg), or about 3.5 pounds (lb), compared with a control group who lost 0.3 kg, which is less than 1 lb.

According to one theory, this may be thanks to an ingredient in grapefruit called nootkatone. Results from a past study noted that nootkatone stimulated energy metabolism in a mouse model. Metabolism is the group of processes by which the body uses energy or burns calories; the faster your metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn both during rest and while exercising, per Harvard Health Publishing. These findings show the potential weight loss effect of grapefruit, and how this fruit can complement a healthy diet. (Keep in mind, though, that this is just a theory, and further research is needed to determine exactly how grapefruit may lead to weight loss.)

Also, a 1 cup serving of red or pink grapefruit with juice has 2.5 g of fiber, making it a good source of the nutrient, notes the aforementioned USDA data. Fiber-rich, low-calorie foods like grapefruit and other fruits can help promote weight loss efforts by keeping you feeling full longer, compared with empty-calorie foods like sodas and cookies, which can leave you hungry, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How to Eat Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a typical breakfast food; the fruit is cut in half and the pulp is eaten with a spoon, according to Purdue. Some people sprinkle sugar on top to balance the sourness, but this addition can reduce the health factor of your fruit. If you must sweeten your grapefruit, try no-calorie stevia instead of sugar. Grapefruit is also sometimes used to make jellies, marmalades, and syrups, Purdue notes.

If you’re tired of your normal grapefruit routine, or are looking for other ways to incorporate it into your diet, try topping your salad or tacos with grapefruit slices, incorporating grapefruit into a fruit salsa, your favorite smoothie, or as an ingredient in a mocktail. The opportunities for cooking with grapefruit are limited only by your imagination!

Health Risks of Grapefruit

While grapefruit itself isn’t a risky food, it may pose health risks in certain circumstances, for example if you’re eating too much of it.

• Tissue damage Vitamin C, a key nutrient in grapefruit, isn’t typically toxic in large amounts. But exceeding the recommended intake on a daily basis for a long period of time may be associated with tissue damage, according to the NIH. As mentioned, high levels of vitamin C can lead to diarrhea, nausea, cramps, and other minor gut health issues.
• Tooth damage This is another possible side effect of eating too much grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. The acid in citrus fruits may damage your enamel. To help protect your teeth, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends rinsing your mouth with water immediately after consuming acidic foods like citrus fruits. The ADA suggests you wait an hour after eating acidic foods before you brush your teeth, because your saliva has a protective effect.
• Medication interactions Grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and related oils and extracts sometimes interact with certain medications. Grapefruit has a natural ability to block an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is important to the absorption of medications. When you drink grapefruit juice with your medication, for example, the medication won’t work as it ought to, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Here are some of the grapefruit and drug interactions of concern you might wish to discuss with your doctor, per the FDA:

• Anticoagulants/blood thinners (including warfarin)
• Antihistamines
• Anxiety medications
• Cholesterol-lowering statins
• Heart rhythm drugs
• High blood pressure medications
• Organ transplant drugs
• Some corticosteroids

Talk to your doctor if you take any medications or supplements, or if you have any related underlying health conditions, before you consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice. It’s also possible for grapefruit to interact with birth control: While it doesn’t make birth control less effective, it can increase your risk of side effects like nausea and breast tenderness, according to Drugs.com.

Is It Possible to Be Allergic to Grapefruit?

Yes, and a grapefruit allergy is more likely to happen in someone who has an allergy to pollen, trees, or grass, research suggests.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this type of allergy can be considered oral allergy syndrome, and symptoms include swelling in and around the mouth. Some less common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Avoiding grapefruit is one way to keep symptoms at bay; but you might consider allergy shots, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

• Grapefruit: Tree and Fruit. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• Grapefruit. Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products. June 29, 2018.
• Grapefruit, Raw, Pink and Red, Florida. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Data Central. April 1, 2019.
• Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. March 2, 2018.
• Youdim A. Diets. Merck Manual.
• Murase T, Misawa K, Haramizu S, et al. Nootkatone, a Characteristic Constituent of Grapefruit, Stimulates Energy Metabolism and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity by Activating AMPK. American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism. August 2010.
• Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories. Mayo Clinic. January 20, 2017.
• Essential Oils: Poisonous When Misused. National Capital Poison Center.
• Ming-Chiu O, Yi-Hsin Y, et al. The Composition, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Cold-Pressed and Distilled Essential Oils of Citrus paradisi and Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. November 22, 2015.
• Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don’t Mix. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. June 16, 2018.
• Grapefruit and Birth Control. Drugs.com. February 20, 2018.
• Basic Report: 09200, Oranges, Raw, All Commercial Varieties. United States Department of Agriculture. April 2018.
• Iorio RA, Del Duca S, Calamelli E, et al. Citrus Allergy From Pollen to Clinical Symptoms. PLoS One. 2013.
• Oral Allergy Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. August 11, 2022.

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Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don’t Mix

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Grapefruit juice and grapefruit can be part of a healthy diet. Grapefruit has vitamin C and potassium, nutrients your body needs to work properly.

Grapefruit juice and grapefruit can affect the way your medicines work, and that food and drug interaction can be a concern. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required that some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs generally taken by mouth include warnings against drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit while taking the drug.

Here are examples of some types of drugs that grapefruit juice can cause problems (interact) with:

• Some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin).
• Some drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as Procardia and Adalat CC (both nifedipine).
• Some organ-transplant rejection drugs, such as Neoral and Sandimmune capsule or oral solution (both cyclosporine).
• Some anti-anxiety drugs, such as BuSpar (buspirone).
• Some corticosteroids that treat Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, such as Entocort EC and Uceris tablet (both budesonide).
• Some drugs that treat abnormal heart rhythms, such as Pacerone and Cordarone tablet (both amiodarone).
• Some antihistamines, such as Allegra (fexofenadine).

Grapefruit juice does not affect all the drugs in the categories above. The severity of the interaction can be different depending on the person, the drug, and the amount of grapefruit juice you drink. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist, and read any information provided with your prescription or non-prescription (OTC) drug to find out:

• If your specific drug may be affected.
• How much, if any, grapefruit juice you can have.
• What other fruits or juices may also affect your drug in a similar way to grapefruit juice.

How Grapefruit Juice Can Interfere With Medications

With most drugs that are affected by grapefruit juice, “the juice lets more of the drug enter the blood,” says Shiew Mei Huang, Ph.D., of the FDA. “When there is too much drug in the blood, you may have more side effects.”

For example, if you drink a lot of grapefruit juice while taking certain statin drugs to lower cholesterol, too much of the drug may stay in your body, increasing your risk for liver and muscle damage that can lead to kidney failure.

Many drugs are broken down (metabolized) with the help of a vital enzyme called CYP3A4 in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can block the action of intestinal CYP3A4, so instead of being metabolized, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer. The result: too much drug in your body.

The amount of the CYP3A4 enzyme in the intestine varies from person to person. Some people have a lot of this enzyme and others just a little. So grapefruit juice may affect people differently even when they take the same drug.

Although scientists have known for several decades that grapefruit juice can cause too much of certain drugs in the body, more recent studies have found that the juice has the opposite effect on a few other drugs.

“Grapefruit juice can cause less fexofenadine to enter the blood,” decreasing how well the drug works, Huang says. Fexofenadine (brand name Allegra) is available as both prescription and OTC to relieve symptoms of seasonal allergies. Fexofenadine may also not work as well if taken with orange or apple juice, so the drug label says, “Do not take with fruit juices.”

Why this opposite effect? Instead of changing metabolism, grapefruit juice can affect proteins in the body known as drug transporters, some of which help move a drug into our cells for absorption. As a result, less of the drug enters the blood and the drug may not work as well, Huang says.

How Grapefruit Juice Affects Some Drugs

When drugs are swallowed, they may be broken down (metabolized) by enzymes and/or absorbed using transporters in cells found in the small intestine. Grapefruit juice can cause problems with these enzymes and transporters, causing too much or too little drug in the body.

Some drugs, like certain statins used to lower cholesterol, are broken down by enzymes. As shown above, grapefruit juice can block the action of these enzymes, increasing the amount of drug in the body and may cause more side effects.

Other drugs, like fexofenadine, are moved by transporters into the body’s cells. As shown above, grapefruit juice can block the action of transporters, decreasing the amount of drug in the body and may cause the drug to not work as well.

Find Out if You Should Avoid Grapefruit or Other Juices

• Ask your doctor or pharmacist if grapefruit juice interacts with your medication.
• Read the medication guide or patient information sheet that comes with your prescription drug to find out if grapefruit juice affects your drug.
• Read the Drug Facts label on your OTC drug, which will say whether you shouldn’t have grapefruit or other fruit juices with it.
• If you must avoid grapefruit juice with your medicine, check the labels of fruit juices or drinks flavored with fruit juice to see whether they are made with grapefruit juice.
• Seville oranges (often used to make orange marmalade), pomelos, and tangelos (a cross between tangerines and grapefruit) might have the same effect as grapefruit juice. Do not eat those fruits if your medicine interacts with grapefruit juice.

The benefits and harms of citrus fruits for the human body – July 26, 2020

So bright and appetizing, but not everyone can have it

Photo: Alexandra Savelyeva / 76.RU

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The further we climbed into the jungle of gastroenterology, exploring the actions and the side effects of grapefruit, the more we thought, “Why are we even doing this?” But it was too late to stop.

Grapefruit, like grapefruit juice, is safe for most healthy people. Moreover, it stimulates brain activity, improves memory and concentration, relieves depression and apathy, relieves nervousness and normalizes sleep.

“In terms of its vitamin and mineral composition, grapefruit is one of the most useful among other citrus fruits,” says Larisa Fedotova, Associate Professor of the Department of Hospital Therapy and Emergency Medicine at the Ural State Medical University. – Grapefruit is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, essential oils and phytoncides, antioxidants and fiber, which makes it attractive to people who care about their health.

Grapefruit contains vitamins B, A, PP, C and D, minerals include potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. The peel of this citrus is rich in essential oils, and the pulp is rich in fiber and substances that break down cholesterol. In addition, the bitter film surrounding the pulp contains the bioflavonoid naringin, which acts as an antioxidant and relieves the negative effects after drinking alcohol.

But, despite all this, experts advise using it carefully, as it can do much more harm than good.

Like any other citrus, grapefruit causes allergies more often than other fruits, so it is not recommended for children under three years of age. Babies are recommended to give juice diluted with water first, and only then – the pulp.

— For example, with an allergy to grass pollen, the so-called cross allergy is possible, when the same symptoms can appear when eating citrus fruits, honey, coffee and other products, and the degree of allergenic activity in citrus fruits is high, explains Larisa Fedotova. – With aspirin bronchial asthma, fruits that contain natural salicylates are contraindicated: oranges, grapefruit, lemons, grapes, peaches, apples, apricots and others. Highly allergenic foods also include vegetables, fruits and berries that are bright red and orange, like grapefruit.

While there is a lot of talk about grapefruit for weight loss, overweight and obese people should stay away from this citrus. The calorie content of grapefruit is from 29 to 42 kcal per 100 grams of product, depending on the variety. It is also advisable for patients with diabetes to refrain from using this product, replacing it with less high-calorie and sweet fruits and berries.

— More than fifteen years ago, the World Health Organization issued a recommendation that the prevention of diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease was proposed to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Since then, government programs under the slogan “5+ a day” have been operating in many countries. However, in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, there is a report that drinking fruit juices (fresh or reconstituted) can harm a person’s health to the same extent as drinking sweetened drinks, since both contain approximately the same amount of sugar. Therefore, the researchers recommended drinking no more than 150 milliliters of juice per day, says Larisa Fedotova.

Doctors do not recommend a lot of freshly squeezed juice

Photo: Alexandra Savelyeva / 76.RU

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Currently, fruit juices are excluded from the list of healthy foods recommended for daily consumption. This is due to the fact that many juices, including for baby food, contain at least six teaspoons of sugar (in 200 ml) – more than in Coca-Cola.

Scientists have counted more than a hundred drugs with which grapefruit is incompatible. Such an interaction will cause life-threatening side effects. Therefore, do not even try to drink grapefruit juice with drugs.

– Grapefruit is not compatible with a large number of drugs, such as drugs for lowering blood pressure, statins, for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, etc. This is dangerous because the medicine can become toxic to the body,” explains Natalya Ilyina, a gastroenterologist of the highest category.

Consider the situation with heart rhythm disorders. To do this, we need such a thing as the QT interval. This term refers to the time it takes for the heart to contract the ventricles. An increased heart rate determines the QT interval and is characteristic of ventricular tachycardia.

So, in 2019, scientists conducted a study in which 40 volunteers participated. Ten of them were patients diagnosed with long QT syndrome and drank only grapefruit juice. The remaining 30 participants were healthy and drank either 2 liters of grapefruit juice (in divided doses) or 400 mg of the antibiotic moxifloxacin, with a confirmed but low risk of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

After testing in the first group, the ECG showed a significant increase in the QT interval. In healthy volunteers, grapefruit juice and moxifloxacin caused the same changes in heart performance.

Grapefruit juice can increase or decrease the effect of drugs. Therefore, if you have to take medications for a long time, it makes sense to consult with your doctor if they can be combined with grapefruit.

Increased drug potency will cause headache, acute kidney failure, breathing problems, joint swelling, breast cancer, internal bleeding, and even sudden death. It is best to drink medicines with plain water – it does not contain any elements that react with drugs. Grapefruit chemicals are generally eliminated from the body up to 3 days, so it is wrong to take the medicine even several hours after drinking the juice.

— Grapefruits should not be eaten by people with peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis with high acidity, diseases of the liver and kidneys, because it causes exacerbation, says Natalia Ilyina.

It is undesirable to use this fruit in pancreatitis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, hepatitis, problems in the oral cavity, and excessive consumption of grapefruit inhibits the liver. In addition, grapefruit juice destroys tooth enamel. Therefore, it is worth acquiring a useful habit: rinsing your mouth with filtered water, rinse or herbal decoction after you have eaten citrus.

— Just like people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, healthy people are not recommended to eat grapefruit in the morning on an empty stomach, since the increased acidity of gastric juice and the presence of a large amount of fiber contribute to irritation of the gastric mucosa, and drinking grapefruit or grapefruit juice at night can also lead to an increase in blood sugar, says Larisa Fedotova.

Although there is no recommended time to eat citrus fruits, the best time to eat fruit is after breakfast, 3-4 hours after the main meal (approximately 11 am), separate from other meals.

One grapefruit is for you for the whole day

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— Fruits and, in particular, grapefruit for better assimilation, it is better to use between main meals as a snack. There is no certain strict norm per day for eating grapefruit, but you should not eat more than one medium-sized grapefruit, says Larisa Fedotova. – If you really want this wonderful fruit or juice from it in larger quantities, nothing special will happen, but you still shouldn’t abuse it.

And remember that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, maintain and improve health, you need to eat a variety of foods. Most foods simply do not contain a complete set of vitamins and minerals, so variety is important to meet the body’s need for vitamins and minerals.

If you have already stocked up on grapefruits in hopes of losing weight, then we know at least eight more products that help you lose weight. Also read why kefir is useless in diets and whether you can drink it at night.

Also see why orange and lemon won’t help with colds and what fruits can be eaten with seeds.

And if you just want something appetizing, find out which drinks are the best to pair your favorite products with to discover new flavors.

The deadly danger of grapefruit has been named – RIA Novosti, 03/29/2020 Named the mortal danger of grapefruit – RIA Novosti, 29.03.2020

Named the mortal danger of grapefruit

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MOSCOW, March 29 – RIA Novosti. The use of grapefruit in combination with taking medications can cause serious harm to the body, even death, according to the SasaPost online newspaper. Many people include this fruit in their diet because of its low calorie content and high fiber content, which causes a feeling of fullness. At the same time, grapefruit juice contains furanocoumarins, which disrupt the work of cytochrome P45. This enzyme controls the concentration of drugs and toxins in the blood. Due to a malfunction in the function of P45, the active ingredients of medicines can accumulate in the body in quantities that are dangerous to health. Or, conversely, the effectiveness of drugs may decrease due to too low concentration. “One glass of grapefruit juice or a whole fruit can suppress the function of enzymes in your body for up to 24 hours, and therefore it is simply pointless to maintain an interval between taking a medicine and eating a fruit,” writes SasaPost. Grapefruits affect the effectiveness of about 50 drugs for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, most of which it is important to observe the exact dosage. At the same time, in many cases, due to the need to adhere to a healthy diet, patients add these citrus fruits to the menu. The authors of the article listed medications that are undesirable to combine with the use of grapefruits. Among them are statins, a number of antiarrhythmic and pain medications, drugs for high blood pressure, some antihistamines, anticancer and estrogen drugs, including birth control pills, as well as Viagra. Otherwise, side effects such as heart rhythm disturbances, sudden cardiac arrest, blood clots, kidney damage, bone marrow damage, and destruction of muscle fibers may occur. may be a grapefruit. Read the full version of the material on the site InoSMI >

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MOSCOW, March 29 – RIA Novosti. The use of grapefruit in combination with taking medications can cause serious harm to the body, even death, according to the online newspaper SasaPost.

Many people include this fruit in their diet because of its low calorie content and high fiber content, which makes you feel full.

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November 6, 2019, 17:27

At the same time, grapefruit juice contains furanocoumarins, which disrupt the work of cytochrome P45. This enzyme controls the concentration of drugs and toxins in the blood. Due to a malfunction in the function of P45, the active ingredients of medicines can accumulate in the body in quantities that are dangerous to health. Or, conversely, the effectiveness of drugs may be reduced due to too low a concentration.

“One glass of grapefruit juice or a whole fruit can suppress the function of enzymes in your body for up to 24 hours, and therefore it is simply pointless to maintain an interval between taking the medicine and eating the fruit,” writes SasaPost.

Grapefruit affects the effectiveness of about 50 drugs for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, in most of which it is important to observe the exact dosage.