TITLE:
An Updated Mini Review on Grapefruit: Interactions with Drugs, Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
AUTHORS:
Dimitrios Papandreou, Andry Phily
KEYWORDS:
Grapefruit; Drug Interactions; Obesity; Cardiovascular Risk Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.4,
February
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: The paper examines the effects of grapefruit
consumption in relation to drugs, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. The review includes the most updated
studies found in Pub-Med. The grapefruit effect refers to the ability of grapefruit
juice and supplements to interact with a wide variety of pharmaceuticals,
either enhancing or limiting their systemic availability. Due to altering the
active dosage of the pharmaceutical, Grapefruit juice is commonly not allowed
to be used alongside with many drugs. Naringin is the most important one, which
can inhibit absorption of some drugs but more commonly 6’7’-dihydroxybergamottin, which inhibits
CYP3A4. Lately, grapefruit has been found both in rats and adults to reduce
body weight, blood pressure, improve lipid and hepatic profile and decrease
platelet aggregation. These promising results must be followed
by additional studies in order to add to the importance of the role and effects
of grapefruit as part of our diet.