06/09/2008

Fruit Juice May Block Absorption of Life-Saving Drugs

A recent study conducted by Dr. David Bailey, clinical pharmacologist at the University of Western Ontario, found that common fruit juices can interfere with some drugs and block the body’s ability to absorb them.

The impact of taking medication with fruit juice was observed in a group of healthy volunteers having been given an antihistamine (fexofenadine), either with a glass of grapefruit juice, a glass of water containing naringin (the substance that makes grapefruit juice bitter tasting) or simple with a glass of water.

The results were compelling. Participants who took the drug with grapefruit juice absorbed only half of the drug.  Research also showed that a key drug transporter that helps drugs travel from the small intestine to the bloodstream was blocked in participants who drank water with naringin with their drug.

Researchers identified several drugs whose absorption was decreased by common fruit juices including etoposide, an anti-cancer treatment, certain antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, levoflocxacin and itraconazole, as well as certain beta blockers.

Earlier research by Dr. Bailey had shown that certain medications are absorbed more readily when taken with grapefruit juice, highlighting the need to better understand the interaction between medication and natural products.

The full article can be found on the Globe and Mail website

or in the life section of the August 20th edition of The Globe and Mail.