grapefruit flavionoids

[skyler411]

just read something about  grapefruit flavinoides inhibits hcv.
this interests me and i wonder if anyone else has heard of this??

[FlGuy]

If you are going to eat grapefruit, please make sure it's from Florida.  We need the help.

[pcds]

Since I'm not taking any of the above mentioned medications, I plan to add one grapefruit a day.  

[skyler411]

Wow diden't know one little fruit can cause so much problems w/so many meds ! I've only heard off it reacting w/ heart meds,,as for the trial i was thinking about I found out it's a stage one and i'm not going to  be part off it ,maybe if I was  single w/ no kiddies I would consider a stage one trial,IN DESPERATION of trying to feel proactive about my disease I'm not sure grapefruit is the answer .thank you all for your informative answers
                                                     -julie:)

[FlGuy]

I was somewhat surprised to find that it's not blood-sugar friendly either.  After thinking about it more - it's not so surprising.  For example, a recommended response to LOW blood-sugar events is to drink orange juice.  So, even though I like grapefruit juice I avoid it like grapes, and watermelon. Plus, the medication aspect.....

[sunshines76]

From
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2008/02/what_you_need_t.html

Grapefruit Warning

While just a few of grapefruit’s many health benefits are described above, there is a bittersweet side to this popular fruit. Grapefruit and its juice can be dangerous to people who take certain medications.

Amy Karch, RN, MS, of the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester Medical Center, an expert on drug interactions, explains that grapefruit juice is one of the foods most likely to cause problems with medications. The cytochrome P-450 3A4 enzyme breaks down grapefruit juice into useful components for the body, just like it breaks down dozens of medications. Grapefruit juice can block this enzyme, making it easier for medications metabolized by the same pathway to pass rapidly from the digestive system to the bloodstream. The result is blood levels of the drug rising faster and higher than normal. In some cases the abnormally high medication levels can be dangerous.

Consisting of more than 50 medications, interactions with grapefruit juice are well-known among researchers and clearly documented on warning labels. However, people commonly fail to comprehensively read the warning labels about drug-food interactions. In addition, it doesn’t take much grapefruit juice to boost the levels of drugs that are susceptible. A single glass can produce a 47 percent reduction of the intestinal enzyme that regulates absorption. Since the effect of grapefruit juice wears off slowly, a third of its impact is still evident after 24 hours.

While this list is not complete, some of the drugs interacting with grapefruit include:

· Anxiety: Xanax, Buspar, Versed, Halcion
· Depression: Luvox, Zoloft
· Allergies: Allegra
· Abnormal heart rhythm: Cordarone, quinidine
· Heart disease/stroke/blood clots: Coumadin
· Epilepsy: Tegretol
· Cancer: Cyclophosphamide, etoposide, ifosfamide,
tamoxifen, vinblastine, vincristine
· Cough: Dextromethorphan (found in many over-the-counter cold
medicines)
· HIV: Agenerase, Crixivan, Viracept, Norvir, Fortovase
· Prostate enlargement: Proscar
· Heart disease/High blood pressure: Coreg, Cardizem, Plendil, Cardene, Adalat, Procardia, Nimotop, Sular, Covera, Calan, Verelan
· Erectile dysfunction: Viagra, Cialis
· Asthma/Emphysema: Theophylline
· High cholesterol: Lipitor, Lescol, Mevacor, Zocor
· Pain: Alfenta, Duragesic, Actiq, Sufenta
· Infection: Biaxin, Sporanox, erythromycin, troleandomycin

[DragonHater]

Hey Julie,
If your taking Prilosec for acid control, the last thing you want to do is put more acid in your tummy.  Drink cococut water, no acid & good for you ;)

[skyler411]

very interesting
         ty-julie

[portann]

Good link from FlGuy, which led me to this short one from Dr. Dieterich:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Treatment-for-Hep-C--Grapefruit-Juice/show/542498

[skyler411]

Actually,not on any meds right now.
I have a prescription for priloseck but haven't filled it yet!
well i'm not going to start downing grapefruit ,lol!
there is a local trial i found ,considering trying to get in on it .
just not sure about being a ginnie pig,but on the other hand it's grapefruit whats the worst thing that can happen ?Still need to find out more about it before i make a real decision on it ! IT does seem a little crazy that something like grapefruit may turn into an alternitive to standard tx
                       ty-julie

[sunshines76]

I read those articles too. Some of them forget to mention that the level of naringenin concentration needed is impossible to achieve simply by drinking the juice, or even by taking supplements. I've drank grapefruit juice for 3 months, and it made me feel great, full of energy, plus my gallstones stopped bothering me. Yet, as for HCV, my viral load actually grew by the end of the third month. This is when I agreed to start tx. Don't mean to discourage you, but I don't think grapefruit juice is helpful as far as VL reduction concerned.

[Bill1954]

Julie, if you’re going to drink a lot of grapefruit juice and include it with other meds, be sure to discuss it with the doctor. Grapefruit juice can affect how your body metabolizes certain drugs, so clear it with the doc—

Bill

[Magnum]

I drink a glass every single day. Get the Simply Grapefruit brand, which is pretty much juice not juice extract. You can find it at Wal-Mart and most grocery stores. Pucker up...

Magnum

[Cory255]

Most articles I've read on naringenin/grapefruit juice point the research that's been done at the Massachusetts general hospital.  They've discovered it may inhibit viral replication by interfering with secretion of new virus particles from infected cells.  This compound may be able to block the secretion of the hcv virus from infected cells, a process needed to maintain chronic infection.  

Researchers at Shriners Burns Hospital/ Harvard University revealed that naringenin a metabolite of the bioflavonoid naringin gives grapefruit bitter taste, noted that it may help fight the hcv virus.  This possible reduction in viral load by inhibiting viral secretion could allow uninfected cells to regenerate, which could potentially increase overall rate of viral clearance. "  

[FlGuy]

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/HR--your-views-on-Naringenin/show/498814#post_2810644