Fruit Juices Reduce Effectiveness of Some Drugs
Recently, at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, it was reported that taking certain medications with fruit juice can reduce the medication’s effectiveness.
Flavanoids seem to be responsible for this depletion of effctiveness. Flavanoids help prevent food spoilage but seem to block an enzyme that is responsible for absorbing water-soluable substances.
This lack of enzyme absorption was observed in all 3 tests with grapefruits, oranges, and apples. This effect is probably not limited to fruits because flavanoids are also found in vegetables.
The group that found this out was also responsible for discovering that grapefruit juice can boost the level of some medications to potentially toxic levels since it slows the breakdown of the drug. As a result of this discovery, nearly 50 medications have been observed to have this effect when combined with grapefruit juice consumption.
The opposite effect was observed with the drug fexofenadine. This anti-allergy drug, when consumed with a glass of grapefruit juice, had its blood stream absorption levels nearly cut in half.
Unless your physician says otherwise, you should always take anymedication with a full glass of water. Taking your medication on an empty stomach can also help increase its effectiveness.
Also, it is important to note that there is a window of time where you can enjoy your fruits and juices. The effects seem to wear off after about 4 hours. So don’t be afraid to eat healthy, its no secret that fruits and vegetabls are very good for you.
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Thursday 21 Aug 2008 | admin | Health