Can You Eat Grapefruit If You Have High Blood Pressure?
According to Everyday Health, your blood pressure can be a reflection of possible health issues in the future. This is especially true if you have high blood pressure. "What high blood pressure means is too much resistance inside your arteries," says Ivan V. Pacold, a cardiology professor at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine. "Simply speaking, that [pressure] causes arterial damage and increases your risk for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure," he says.
Perhaps the scariest issue concerning high blood pressure is that there are no symptoms until it causes a life-threatening health concern. This is why high blood pressure is often referred to as "the silent killer", notes Healthline. We're not trying to give you heart palpitations with this information. We just want to show the importance of keeping your blood pressure at a healthy range. And this is where diet — specifically, grapefruit — plays a huge role.
Be careful when taking your medication with grapefruit juice
Is this mouth-puckering fruit okay to nosh on if you have high blood pressure? Many would say "yes" upon first assumption. WebMD claims the plump cousin of the orange is nutritionally dense, boosts immunity, and helps with weight management.
Unfortunately, even nutritious fruits, such as grapefruit, that are often promoted within healthy communities can be off-limits if you have high blood pressure. Adventist Health asserts that grapefruit juice should not be consumed if you are taking certain medications for high blood pressure. Why? Because there are compounds found in grapefruit that can lower or increase your medicine's absorption into the bloodstream. And it's not just your blood pressure medication that gets affected by this bitter citrus fruit. The NHS warns that eating grapefruit or drinking its juice can cause adverse effects with medications taken to lower cholesterol, Antiplatelet medicines, immunosuppressants, and calcium channel blockers.
If you're unsure whether grapefruit can negatively affect the medications you are taking, ask your doctor or pharmacist for confirmation. Grapefruit may be a delicious fruit to enjoy, but know that it can potentially give an advantage to a silent killer.