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Grapefruit Compound

A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may be able to block the secretion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from infected cells, a process required to maintain chronic infection. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine (MGH-CEM) report that HCV is bound to very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL, a so-called “bad” cholesterol) when it is secreted from liver cells and that the viral secretion required to pass infection to other cells may be blocked by the common flavonoid naringenin.


If the results of this study extend to human patients, a combination of naringenin and antiviral medication might allow patient to clear the virus from their livers. The report will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Hepatology and has been released online.


“By finding that HCV is secreted from infected cells by latching onto vLDL, we have identified a key pathway in the viral lifecycle,” says Yaakov Nahmias, PhD, of the MGH-CEM, the paper’s lead author. “These results suggest that lipid-lowering drugs, as well as supplements, such as naringenin, may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies to reduce or even eliminate HCV from infected patients”


HCV is the leading cause of chronic viral liver disease in the United States and infects about 3 percent of the world population. Current antiviral medications are effective in only half of infected patients, 70 percent of whom develop chronic infection that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Since the virus does not integrate its genetic material into the DNA of infected cells the way HIV does, totally clearing the virus could be possible if new cells were not being infected by secreted virus.


“Identifying the route by which HCV is released from cells introduces a new therapeutic target,” says Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD, director of the MGH-CEM and the paper’s senior author. “That pathway’s dependence on cholesterol metabolism could allow us to interfere with viral propagation to other cells and tissues, using tools already developed for atherosclerosis treatment.” Yarmush is the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering at Harvard Medical School (HMS).


Grapefruit’s bitter taste is caused the presence of the flavonoid naringin, which is metabolized into naringenin, an antioxidant previously reported to help lower cholesterol levels. Considerable research has suggested that HCV infects liver cells by, in essence, “hitching a ride” onto the natural lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolic pathway. Since earlier evidence has shown that naringenin can reduce secretion of vLDL from liver cells, the researchers examined whether the compound might also lower HCV secretion from infected cells. Their experiments confirmed that naringenin does reduce the secretion of HCV from infected cell lines and showed that the compound inhibits the mechanism for secreting a specific lipoprotein that binds HCV.


“This work presents the possibility that non-toxic levels of a dietary supplement, such as naringenin, could effectively block HCV secretion,” says Raymond Chung, MD, MGH director of Hepatology and one of the study authors, “This approach might eventually be used to treat patients who do not respond to or cannot take traditional interferon-based treatment or be used in combination with other agents to boost success rates.”
32 Responses
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264121 tn?1313029456
I saw an article too while I was googling around on hepc.  Looks interesting.

So lets see. We've got a diet of what now?  Grapefruit, avacadoes (j/k - said this because of Pam whatshername, JEEZ I have lost my mind lately), peanut butter, and miralax....
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Avatar universal
I just heard about this today; saw an article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204124110.htm

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Avatar universal
sort of like those mega-vitamins with 120  X minimum daily requirement dosages?

too much of a good thing is still too much..but thanks for the link
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Avatar universal
That's a good price on CurcuGel-Thanks!
Have a good day,
Ev
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92903 tn?1309904711
Well, I think they are generally dosed in pairs, but frankly I've never really understood that. Why does the plastic surgery industry stop marketing at two? Like the dudes who covet thy neighbors sports car and want to upgrate to 16 overhead valves, why not go with 6 cups and over-nipple lifters? It seems like good ol' American enginuity and marketing to me....

Anyway, as to your inquiry, CurcuGel from here: http://www.epic4health.com/ind.html

  
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Avatar universal
wow - I had no idea - what's the suggested dosage?

also, I tried to ask you about this in a thread below - what curcumin packaging/distributor did you finally settle on? (you and hr discussed this a while back)
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Avatar universal
When you see warnings on meds not to drink grapefruit juice it is because this will usually increase, not inhibit, the effects of the drug. It has to do with enzymatic breakdown in the intestines  (not liver).


Grapefruit juice has this effect for up to 24 hours, so toxicity issues can arise with repeated consumption of it while on certain medications.
If you were to try a glass of GJ with your favorite benzo (valium,xanax,etc) it could result in an unpleasant experience, while I'm sure others may appreciate the enhancement.  I did an experiment  to see for myself if there would be a difference and how much, etc, etc. Anything for the advancement of man's understanding of his world around him is what I always say. So, I drank an eight ounce glass of gj and took a triazolam (Halcion) .25 mg. It did have a pronounced effect, in strength and duration. If I had to put a number on it I'd say it demonstarated 30-50% more effect on me. I could easily see that repeated use of gj with this medicine could lead to toxicity issues  Of course, I don't recommend that anyone should consider experimenting with this.

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Avatar universal
I thought that was cantalopes?
Honestly Lauri, I really wish someone would make a list, so many conflicting theories!
It is most confusing sometimes! :)
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92903 tn?1309904711
I was just reading some research where the've demonstrated conclusively that grapefruits can indeed reverse the aging process. You wear them in your bra.  
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250084 tn?1303307435
YES. A list, all do's and don'ts totally covered!

LL
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the update, I was getting really confused on this issue
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86075 tn?1238115091
just for whatever it is worth, and, of course, people may do whatever they see fit, but I just spoke to HR and he told me that he would advise against this...He said he already spoke about this at some length, on another thread maybe a year ago...i didn't see that either...anyway, this is just what he thinks...he has a new computer set up that he is trying to make work, and he's very busy with other things right now, but he'll come when he has more time...fyi....
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Avatar universal
Ok my google results thought I would share, in case no one else knew what that meant either!Naringenin (not to be confused with naringin) is a flavanone that is considered to have a bioactive effect on human health as antioxidant, free radical scavenger, anti-inflammatory, carbohydrate metabolism promoter, and immune system modulater. This substance has also been shown to reduce oxidative damage to DNA in vitro. Scientists exposed cells to 80 micromoles of naringenin per liter, for 24 hours, and found that the amount of hydroxyl damage to the DNA was reduced by 24% in that very short period of time. Unfortunately, this bioflavonoid is difficult to absorb on oral ingestion. In the best case scenario, only 15% of ingested naringenin will get absorbed in the human gastrointestinal tract. A full glass of orange juice will supply about enough naringenin to achieve a concentration of about 0.5 micromoles per liter. There are speculations that, given more time at a lower concentration, it could have similar effects.

Naringenin found in grapefruit juice has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the human cytochrome P450 isoform CYP1A2
:)

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Avatar universal
ok now I need to google  naringenin!   I am curious also,
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144210 tn?1273088782
This is about "naringenin" and i am curious to know what HR thinks!  Wherever is he?
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Avatar universal
Sometimes I really wish someone would just make a list.
Do eat grapefruit while not txing,  Or don't..

For this do this, for that do that!

Eat this, do not eat that!

Do not drink coffee, no do drink at least cups a day!

Would make life so much easier.

Once a week they could add up dates!

Deb
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190885 tn?1333025891
i don't do drugs or drink or smoke.....and for the last 9 months i have eaten at least one grapefruit every day.(not on tx yet)..i am feeling a lot better...billy
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Avatar universal
congrats on the svr!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
bought some grapefruit bath crystals in utah this past summer,when i got home and thourghly read the label it stated, Do not use if you have liver disease."
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Avatar universal
Space, I find this quite interesting.  I have also read that grapefruit is a big no, no on treatment.  I've stated many times here that I did not find this forum or have access to much information until I was about at the end of my 73 weeks of daily infergen.  You can imagine how I felt when I read grapefruit was a no, no.  I lived on grapefruit and it's juice throughout treatment.  It was about the only food I could tolerate.  Also my cholesterol has always been low.  Think I read here that high cholesterol bodes better for svr too.  I'm svr.  Whew...
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250084 tn?1303307435
Grapefruit can't be mixed with several drugs as it , awww h*ll...words, keep loosing my words!! IT slows the filtration process in the liver of certain drugs, one being Xanax , therefore when you do your next dose, it's building up, etc.
OJ is no problem (was going to make a poor taste joke there!). I have tangerine, grapefruit and 3 orange tree's -loaded right now. Juice @ 2-4 gallons a week of the oj. Love it.

May have to plant a lot more grapefruit tree's!

LL
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Avatar universal
""may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies""
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Avatar universal
I don't know either, still confuzzled, bad, good?? WTH?

Think you might be right,   thought perhaps it was the acid..

Jamima, so I an die from Liver  disease OR High blood pressure and a stroke!

Wow great choices :))

Deb
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Avatar universal
I think something specific in grapefruit.
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