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Experts Reveal the Secret Powers of Grapefruit Juice
NY Times ^ | March 21, 2006 | NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Posted on 03/21/2006 11:20:30 PM PST by neverdem

In 1989, a group of Canadian researchers studying a blood pressure drug were astonished to discover that drinking a glass of grapefruit juice dangerously increased the drug's potency.

They were testing the effects of drinking alcohol on a medicine called Plendil. The scientists needed something that would hide the taste of alcohol so that subjects would know only that they were taking the drug and not know whether they were drinking alcohol with it.

"One Saturday night, my wife and I tested everything in the refrigerator," said David G. Bailey, a research scientist at the London Health Sciences Center in London, Ontario, and the lead author on the study. "The only thing that covered the taste was grapefruit juice."

So they used it in their experiment, expecting the grapefruit juice to be irrelevant to their results. But blood levels of the drug went up significantly in the control group that drank just grapefruit juice, without alcohol.

"People didn't believe us," Dr. Bailey said. "They thought it was a joke. We had trouble getting it published in a major medical journal."

Eventually the paper was accepted and published by Lancet, in February 1991.

Finding why juice had that effect was the next question.

The answer, it turned out, lay in a family of enzymes called the cytochrome P-450 system, in particular one known as CYP 3A4. This enzyme metabolizes many drugs, and toxins as well, into substances that are less potent or more easily excreted or both.

Grapefruit juice interferes with the ability of CYP 3A4 to do that, increasing...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: citrusfruits; cyp3a4; cytochromep450system; drugs; grapefruit; health; medicine; nih; pharmaceuticals
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To: A CA Guy
Sprinkle sugar on the grapefruit to take the tartness away.
It could be they just like grapefruit. They are pretty good!

I have heard if a person is trying to stop smoking that grapefruit juice helps.
21 posted on 03/22/2006 1:49:57 AM PST by imjustme
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To: lmr

Also note that adding additional medications may entail mixing drugs that use the same Cytochrome P450 enzyme. If that occurs, the enzyme will degrade the drug its most specific to and leave the other at an elevated level (b/c it's overloaded).

When you're using multiple drugs and add another one, if you get a weird reaction, the enzyme herementioned may be the culprit.


22 posted on 03/22/2006 1:52:00 AM PST by CheyennePress
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To: CheyennePress
The science is legit here. They're teaching us this in med school.

I'll take help wherever I can ge it.

23 posted on 03/22/2006 1:57:16 AM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: neverdem

This is what the NY Slimes ought to stick to: health advice with caveats.


24 posted on 03/22/2006 2:02:31 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: Recovering_Democrat
This is what the NY Slimes ought to stick to: health advice with caveats.

As a general rule, that's what I tried to do.

25 posted on 03/22/2006 2:11:46 AM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: neverdem
"The only thing that covered the taste was grapefruit juice."

Because the disgusting taste of grapefruit juice overwhelms every other taste.

Ever since childhood, I have not understood why people seem to like grapefruits amd grapefruit juice.

26 posted on 03/22/2006 2:37:20 AM PST by wideminded
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To: neverdem
never challenge...the POWER OF CHEESE!!!
27 posted on 03/22/2006 2:57:55 AM PST by Casaubon (Internet Research Ninja Masta)
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To: wideminded
I have not understood why people seem to like grapefruits amd grapefruit juice.

Different people taste things differently. There are several taste tests used in biology classes to show this to students. Here's one of many references: http://www.ns.purchase.edu/biology/bio1550lab/ptc_tasting.htm

28 posted on 03/22/2006 2:58:12 AM PST by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: A CA Guy

I had always heard that you could eat grapefruit and it had no effect on the medication. You just couldn't drink the juice. I have no idea why the difference.


29 posted on 03/22/2006 3:58:05 AM PST by spkpls4 (Jeremiah 29:11)
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To: A CA Guy

Also, they're not that tart if you sprinkle sugar on them.


30 posted on 03/22/2006 3:58:55 AM PST by spkpls4 (Jeremiah 29:11)
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To: neverdem
Isn't a salty dog, gin and grapefruit juice?
31 posted on 03/22/2006 4:02:03 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO")
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To: de Buillion

I was about to say that. I was on Baycol for about 3 months and the clinic called me to stop taking it. I've been on Zocor. The way I read that label is that grapefruit and Zocor doesn't mix. My med labels don't say anything about that. Am I reading that right? Anyways it might be all for naught as I don't ever drink the stuff.


32 posted on 03/22/2006 4:44:59 AM PST by ONETWOONE (onetwoone)
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To: Right Wing Assault

Odor is a large part of a flavor. Graprefruit smells good.


33 posted on 03/22/2006 4:50:36 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: wafflehouse
Grapefruit juice and viagra.


34 posted on 03/22/2006 4:56:16 AM PST by Mr. Brightside (Watcher of the Skies)
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To: neverdem
In the who cares department, I get a buzz from a glass of grapefruit juice. Weirdest thing.

5.56mm

35 posted on 03/22/2006 5:09:00 AM PST by M Kehoe
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To: Justa

I use GSE also - had been going to a Podiatrist for a very painful plantar wart - the GSE was the thing that really cleared it up fast.


36 posted on 03/22/2006 5:37:34 AM PST by Mygirlsmom (You can either despair that the rose bush has thorns-or rejoice that the thorn bush has roses.)
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To: neverdem

For Diuretics, also prescribed for people with high blood pressure, other circulatory or kidney problems, it is also recommended not to take the medicine with grapefruit juice.


37 posted on 03/22/2006 6:02:48 AM PST by WaterDragon
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To: neverdem

How old is that chart? Hismanal (an antihistamine) was pulled off the market a few years back. I used to take it.


38 posted on 03/22/2006 6:12:00 AM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: neverdem

So does grapefruit juice have the same effect on booze? Just wondering.


39 posted on 03/22/2006 6:13:47 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: wideminded

Put some splenda on one and try it. They are yummy. This coming from a picky eater. It suprised me. I only tried it because of a diet. Now I eat them alot. Just bought some last night.


40 posted on 03/22/2006 7:05:00 AM PST by surelyclintonsbaddream
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