Indian Medical Association (IMA) warned that consuming pills with a juice which are particularly made of citrus fruits makes the effectiveness of medicines lower.
In a latest advisory, the medical study on body states that the juices will affect the drugs absorption, especially those which are advised for medical chronic conditions like heart disease, or hypertension, and those which should be generally taken with water.
“Apple and orange juices in particular are revealed to reduce the absorption of certain medicines, which compromises the effectiveness. Also, grapefruit juice is known for increasing the drugs absorption. It can also turn the normal into toxic doses,” shared K K Aggarwal, IMA’s secretary general in a study by the UWO (University of Western Ontario) in Canada.
The US FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) in the health information of consumer also revealed why grapefruit cannot be taken along with medicines. “Some of the prescribed medicines like statins which are for lowering cholesterol gets broken in body(metabolized) due to proteins called enzymes in our intestine. Grapefruit juice tends to block the working of enzymes which increases the amount medicine absorbed by our body and risks the overdose,” stated the bulletin of FDA.
It also further adds, “Other medications like Allegra (fexofenadine) is used for allergies cures which are moved in the cells of body with the assistance of proteins acting like transporters. Grapefruit juice tends to block the work of proteins and decrease the amount of the medicine absorbed by our body and thus reduces the effectiveness of medicine.”