Grapefruit

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Grapefruit
Though packed with healthy vitamins, grapefruit and grapefruit juice also alter the function of certain enzymes in the digestive system that are involved in processing some medications.

Be careful...if you take statins. Statins such as simvastatin, atorvastatin and pravastatin are used to lower cholesterol. Eating or drinking a significant amount of grapefruit even several hours before or after taking these statins may accelerate side effects or, in severe cases, result in organ damage. Grapefruit may make levels of these drugs build up in the body, and could eventually cause liver damage or muscle breakdown that can result in kidney failure. With these medicines, it is safest to avoid grapefruit entirely but if you can't live without it, you can also ask your doctor about how much is safe -- though you should never eat or drink more than a quart a day. Not all statins are affected by grapefruit. Several other medications including (but not limited to) the blood pressure drug nifedipine, the anti-anxiety drug buspirone and the antihistamine fexofenadine may also be affected by grapefruit.


**Note: This is not a complete list. You should always ask your doctor if you should avoid any particular foods, drinks or supplements specific to your medication regimen.