What is it about grapefruit specifically that messes with pretty much every prescription in existence?

Question

What is it about grapefruit specifically that messes with pretty much every prescription in existence?

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Answer 1

When you ingest a medication it has to be broken down. Your liver has enzymes to do that, called cytochrome P450 (CYP450). There’s different types CYP450, but the most common one that break down a lot of medications (but not “every prescription in existence” though) is called CYP3A4. Grapefruit, in very large quantities, inhibits CYP3A4 from doing its job. Medications that need CYP3A4 to be metabolized and broken down will now stay in your system, build up and potentially increase the risk of toxicity/adverse effects.