Grapefruit Juice

I really enjoy freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. Easy simple - slice in half and juice with a reamer. Grapefruit and its juice has a CAUTION attached to it. Grapefruit juice significantly increases the production and activity of liver detoxification enzymes responsible for preparing toxic compounds for elimination from the body. A list of the nutrients in grapefruit are listed here. This can be helpful in eliminating estrogen like compounds from the liver and preventing future liver cysts from forming. CAUTION It is for this very reason that if we are on immunosuppressive agents (if we have had a transplant) then doctors recommend that we avoid grapefruit. This can create fluctuations in medication levels. Some transplant teams will allow grapefruit if you agree to eat a set amount each and everyday. Otherwise the risk of losing a transplanted organ is too great and the transplant team usually recommends that grapefruit and other citrus be avoided.

Cyclosporin (Sandimmune) has a powerful immunosuppressive activity affecting especially the T lymphocytes. It is toxic to the human kidney, and there is fear that prolonged use of the agent could lead to permanent renal damage. It also increases the growth of hair on the face and body, which can be distressing to female patients. It is a difficult drug to use because since it is fat soluble and its absorption is variable. Thus each patient needs to be individually studied to ensure that the dosage is adequate but not excessive. Grapefruit juice and Mediterranean oranges and Sun Drop, a citrus soda, contain bergamottin which enhances the effect of cyclosporin, increasing the level of the drug in circulation. St. John's wort reduces the concentration of cyclosporin rendering it less effective.

Grapefruit also interferes with many medications. While taking certain medications your pharmacist or physician may recommend avoiding grapefruit. Something in grapefruit juice – no one knows what – blocks the action of specific enzymes needed to absorb and break down drugs. These enzymes, found in the intestinal wall and liver, are called cytochrome P-450 3A4 and 1A2 (CYP3A4 and CYP1A2, for short). Several constituents of grapefruit juice have been implicated, including specific flavonoids and other phytochemicals called furanocoumarins. Concentration of these compounds varies from one batch of juice to another.

By inhibiting the action of these enzymes, grapefruit juice increases your body’s absorption of certain drugs, and also slows the process of breaking them down in the liver. Thus certain drugs affected by these enzymes stay in the body longer than normal. These include the calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure, non-sedating antihistamines such as Hismanal (astemizole), certain tranquilizers including Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Halcion (triazolam), and others, a number of cholesterol-lowering drugs, including Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin) and other statins, immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs and antiviral agents used to treat HIV/AIDS.

If you take any of these drugs with grapefruit juice, you may feel a difference. For example, with calcium channel blockers you might notice flushing, headache, an increased heart rate, or blood pressure which is lower than intended. With the tranquilizers, you may notice increased sedation. More dangerous side effects including kidney toxicity and increased susceptibility to infections could develop among those taking immunosuppressive drugs. Grapefruit juice can even enhance your response to caffeine, resulting in nervousness and over-stimulation.

Compounds in grapefruit are known to increase circulating levels of several prescription cholesterol lowering drugs including statins. For this reason, the risk of muscle toxicity associated with statins may increase when grapefruit is consumed. To counteract this, sometimes co-enzyme Q10 is needed. Statins lower the body's level of coenzyme Q10 resulting in muscle pains. Coenzyme Q10 is useful when prescribed statins.
I take no prescribed medications and I eat grapefruit daily. I have found that grapefruit juice freshly squeezed eliminates leg swelling on a prolonged plane or train ride. It also has something in it that keeps the weight stable. I eat and feed my husband a grapefruit each morning. Neither of us takes any prescribed medications. Grapefruit is so useful as a weight loss aide, that they have bottled it and sell grapefruit tablets.

I first noticed the helpfulness of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice on a train/plane from Germany. My very good friend in Trier squeezed me three grapefruits to drink along the way. This was prior to my liver resection. It was the first time I noticed no swelling at all on the flight home to the USA. Following my liver resection surgery I craved grapefruit. I wanted something sour and I also craved bitter. Grapefruit has a bit of both flavors. I enjoy the smell of grapefruit and even bought some glycerin grapefruit soap from the body shop.

Grapefruit health benefits can be attributed to the following compounds contained within grapefruit.

1. Decreases leg swelling
2. Cholesterol - Pectin Lowers Cholesterol
3. Anti tumor activity - Lycopene a carotinoid with anti-tumor activity. Helps eliminate free radicals.
4. Vitamin C supports immune system, reduces inflammation, cold fighter, diminishes free radicals' harm
5. Limonoids promote the formation in the liver of lutathione-S-transferase, a detoxifying enzyme. This helps increase the metabolism of estrogen through the liver.
6. LDL cholesterol- Anthocyanin helps raise good cholesterol
7. Kidney stone - Reduce formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
8. Weight loss - Grapefruit may help prevent weight gain by lowering insulin levels. It cuts appetite and burns fat.
9.Tobacco harm reduced the activity of an enzyme that activates cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
10. Cancer causing toxins - grapefruit works in both Phase I and Phase II (liver detoxification) to enhance the liver's ability to remove cancer-causing toxins.
11. Naringenin, a flavonoid concentrated in grapefruit, helps repair damaged DNA in human prostate cancer cell.

Now about the bitter - prior to and following my liver resection I have (and still do!) a craving for chocolate, deep dark bitter sweet chocolate. Milk Chocolate is too sweet for me. If I am to have chocolate, I am partial to the dark Swiss and German chocolates, especially Teuscher Champagne Truffles and Lindt chocolates exceed Godiva's for me any day. Today most desserts taste too sweet for my palate; sometimes a banana is even too sweet or even freshly squeezed apple juice. While in the hospital, recovering from my liver resection, they ran lab tests sometimes twice a day on my blood. My blood was low in Magnesium. Dark chocolate is high in magnesium. The doctors soon corrected this by adding magnesium to my intravenous fluid and the craving for chocolate stopped. By the way, chocolate and green tea are high in anti-carcinogens., however both will increase all cyst growth and raise my blood pressure for 3 days running. This was verified by studies with caffeine by the Tanners. So let's see now, eat a bite of chocolate or take a chance on triggering a migraine headache, a rise in blood pressure and cyst growth. What will be?

Oftentimes I really have great trouble resisting a bite of chocolate. No matter how small the portion, if it is raw, organic, de-caffeinated, or homegrown, Chocolate always hits me with a migraine headache lasting 2-3 days. I then have to self treat with hot lemon juice or the juice of 2-3 lemons daily. I was told not to take imitrex because it decreases the blood flow to the kidneys. So I juggle and continue to try to restrain myself from eating chocolate. I have found that carob, roasted (almost burned) almonds, and roasted grain beverages can sometimes stand as a substitution for the bitter taste. If one happens to find yannoh brand grain beverage, this tastes better to me than other brands. My friend Babette prefers it to hot chocolate. It seems to be a taste for the bitter that I am after. I keep chocolate out of my home, but while traveling, hotels sometimes take the time to bake chocolate cookies as a treat for their guests. The smell gets me. I try to stay away from the hotel at the hour when chocolates might be served. I ask the hotel to not leave chocolate on my bedtime pillow. I am really a hopeless chocolate addict, but am trying very hard to resist. The headaches are a helpful reminder that all caffeine will cause cyst growth as well as the papers by Dr. Grantham, and G. Tanner and more. Read more about avoiding caffeine and coffee alternatives.

On the light side, there is a festival from Menton The Lemon Festival in Menton-- a town located on the coast of the French-Italian border. All the art work is made with grapefruit, lemons, and oranges

WARNING

Cyclosporine (Sandimmune) has a powerful immunosuppressive activity affecting especially the T lymphocytes. It is toxic to the human kidney, and there is fear that prolonged use of the agent could lead to permanent renal damage. It also increases the growth of hair on the face and body, which can be distressing to female patients. It is a difficult drug to use because since it is fat soluble and its absorption is variable. Thus each patient needs to be individually studied to ensure that the dosage is adequate but not excessive. Grapefruit juice and Mediterranean oranges and Sun Drop, a citrus soda, contain bergamottin which enhances the effect of cyclosporine, increasing the level of the drug in circulation. St. John's wort reduces the concentration of cyclosporine rendering it less effective.

Grapefruit juice more than grapefruit seems to be the culprit – it interferes with the absorption and metabolism of a number of drugs (although there is increasing concern that eating grapefruit might also lead to this effect).

Something in grapefruit juice – no one knows what – blocks the action of specific enzymes needed to absorb and break down drugs. These enzymes, found in the intestinal wall and liver, are called cytochrome P-450 3A4 and 1A2 (CYP3A4 and CYP1A2, for short). Several constituents of grapefruit juice have been implicated, including specific flavonoids and other phytochemicals called furanocoumarins. Concentration of these compounds varies from one batch of juice to another.

Interestingly, grapefruit juice seems to be the only citrus juice to have this effect. If you’ve always taken your medication with grapefruit juice and never noticed any of the symptoms I’ve mentioned, there’s probably no reason to make a change, but it would be a good idea to tell your physician about your juice consumption. And if you have any concerns about whether grapefruit juice could be interfering with any medication you take, ask your physician or pharmacist about possible interactions.

Grapefruit