By the way, doctor: Is it okay to drink grapefruit juice, as long as I don't take my statin at the same time?
Grapefruit contains compounds that interfere with digestive enzymes that break down (metabolize) various drugs — especially the enzyme CYP34A, which is part of a large family of drug-metabolizing enzymes called cytochrome P450. This increases the amount of drug absorbed and thus the amount in the bloodstream. Other chemicals in grapefruit alter the activity of proteins responsible for transporting some drugs through the wall of the intestine. This also boosts drug absorption and blood levels of the drug.
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