Fruit juice warning to 8 million Brits on statins as it could be 'toxic'
Fruit juice warning to 8 million Brits on statins as it could be 'toxic'
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Millions of Brits could be unknowingly putting their health at risk when drinking a certain fruit juice, the NHS has warned. This is because combining a common type of medication known as statins with the drink could make them more powerful and “toxic”.
It is thought around eight million people in the UK are prescribed statins. These are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol) in the blood. Having too much cholesterol in the blood puts you at greater risk for a number of potentially fatal conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. While statins could therefore be life-saving, taking them comes with their own dangers.
The NHS warns that those on statins should avoid drinking grapefruit juice. “Grapefruit juice can affect some statins and increase your risk of side effects,” the health body says. “A doctor may advise you to avoid it completely or only consume small quantities.” This warning is echoed by experts at Harvard Health Publishing.
They explained more about the mechanics of why this risk occurs. “Certain classes of drugs — most notably statins — are metabolised (broken down) in your intestines by an enzyme called CYP3A, which normally reduces the amount of drug that enters your bloodstream,” they said.
