Why You Shouldn’t Take Certain Medications With Grapefruit Juice
There are many small print on drug labels that are worth reading, and there is often a disclaimer among them that should not be taken with grapefruit juice. What’s up with that? This video will tell you.
In an episode of SciShow, presenter Hank Greene explains why some prescription drugs include a warning: “Do not take with grapefruit juice.”
In short, grapefruit juice interferes with your body’s ability to properly absorb the medication. It blocks an important enzyme (CYP3A4) that controls how much medication you get. So drinking grapefruit juice basically negates the safe dose.
The Canadian Medical Association document explains:
Drugs are terminated through several biological mechanisms. The most important is drug metabolism, which includes oxidation by enzymes belonging to the cytochrome P450 superfamily. Cytochrome P450 3A4 is particularly important because it is involved in the bioinactivation of about 50% of all drugs … [drug] it is subject to a potentially significant increase in systemic exposure and an associated higher risk of grapefruit overdose as a result of a decrease in CYP3A4 activity, primarily in the small intestine. not in the liver.
The video breaks it all down in an easy-to-understand manner, so check it out above or follow the link below.
Why shouldn’t you take medications with grapefruit juice? | SciShow (YouTube)