A Lethal Fruity Mix.

Losing weight is really such a struggle. Sometimes I wish there was an easy answer to my weight woes. In fact, I have been tempted MANY times to try one of those supposedly "tried-and-tested" diet fads such as the oatmeal and hard-boiled egg diet, the 3-day diet, South Beach diet, Cabbage Soup diet, and even the Grapefruit Diet. These are just a few of the many lose weight quickly plans that have been popularized.

However, because I am taking medication for a health condition, I have to think twice about trying one of these fads. Apparently, some of the food items we take can counteract with medications we are taking. I had no idea, however, that grapefruits would be one of them. Because it is a fruit, I assumed it would be healthy and safe to take no matter what. After all, it comes from nature, right? Who would think that fruits when consumed in tandem with prescription medications can be a lethal mix?

According to CBS news something in the grapefruit juice causes a negative interaction with some drugs which can result in dangerous side-effects. AOL Health also explains that something in the juice which still is a mystery to scientists latches onto an enzyme in the intestine which breaks down the drug thus more of it is absorbed into the bloodstream. This is harmful when you are taking statins or cholesterol lowering agents because it can cause abnormal high blood levels which can cause liver damage. Other medications that can have a negative interaction with grapefruit juice are certain antibiotics, cancer medications, allergy and cough medicines, and even drugs like Zoloft and Cialis. No wonder in an episode of Grey's Anatomy, a patient made a comment about delaying taking her contraceptive pill for about half an hour because she had just consumed a glass of grapefruit juice! I just dismissed this as a quirk of the patient but now I know there is so much more to it after all. As always, before trying out any diet and going on new medications, consult your physician about what you can or cannot take together.

photo from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/20/health/webmd/main668105.shtml