Since the effects of grapefruit juice may last as long as 3 days, it should be avoided if you are taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev) or simvastatin (Zocor). All Rights Reserved. Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. Statins can interact with certain foods, including grapefruit. Antibiotics & dairy products. Exercise and a healthy diet that minimizes your intake of salt and fat can make all the difference when it comes to heart health. Back and Neck Surgery (Except Spinal Fusion). Bypass rows with bakery items, crackers, cookies, and other foods high in saturated fat . Rebeca Schiller is a freelance writer who has written for Newsday’s Healthlink. Avoid grapefruit unless MD instructs otherwise. Taking statin drugs or making lifestyle changes should not be considered a one or the other choice. The doctor will … Statins are a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs people take to lower triglyceride and LDL cholesterol, the types of cholesterol that can damage blood vessels supplying the heart and brain. "One of them, cytochrome P3A4, is responsible for degrading a number of the most commonly used statin drugs," he explains. Some make them work better, some make them work less. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can … Statins help to not only lower your LDL cholesterol, but also minimize the risk of blood vessel disease. any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. © Copyright 2020 Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. Patent US Nos. According to a 2017 study, around 39 million American adults age 40 and above take statins. Still, you might want to take a more cautious approach. Try coenzyme Q10 supplements. This content is not available in your region. Grapefruit juice is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. "You need to consume the equivalent of six large grapefruits to increase the potency of the tested statin by over 13 fold," explains Dr. Tomey. Statins have potentially serious side effects, and there are instances in which they should not be taken. Other fruits that contain the same compound as grapefruit include pomelos (an Asian fruit hybrid that looks like an oversized grapefruit), Seville oranges and limes, but research has been limited and it's unknown whether they produce the same amount of risk as grapefruit, according to UC San Diego Health. Privacy Policy The culprit: furanocoumarins, compounds found in grapefruits, that affects … While people are regularly told to increase their levels of fruits and vegetables, grapefruit juice … Statins do not directly interact … Your lipids test wasn't ideal? Statins … Optimally, your total cholesterol level should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter, according to the Mayo Clinic. On Foods to Avoid when on Statins Dr. Savard says avoiding grapefruit juice is important as it can interfere with how the statin metabolizes in the body. Importantly, grapefruit affects certain statins more than others, as Harvard Health Publishing points out. Terms of Use Our servers have detected that you are accessing this site from a country that is a member of the European Union. Foods to Avoid Some nutritionists recommend avoiding certain aisles in the supermarket. Grapefruit and other citrus fruits … Third Party materials included herein protected under copyright law. In turn, the statin you take becomes more potent in lowering cholesterol, but it also exposes you to a greater risk of toxicity from the drug, notes Harvard Health. Foods to avoid when taking heart medications Blood thinners: Eat fewer foods with vitamin K. Foods high in vitamin K can counteract the blood-thinning effects of... Statins: Don't eat grapefruit. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web site-many of the The LIVESTRONG Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM do not endorse "Now for most of us, we might have a 6- to 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice on any given day, which will increase the potency by about threefold.". The most adverse side effect of consuming grapefruit while taking statins is rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue that can be dangerous for kidneys and cause kidney failure or even death, but it is extremely rare, according to a study published in January 2016 in the American Journal of Medicine — so rare that not eating grapefruit wouldn't reduce the risk by much. Margarine. Furanocoumarin, a substance found in grapefruit, can affect that enzyme by inactivating it, says Harvard Health Publishing. She is currently completing her certification studies in holistic nutrition. The content on Healthgrades does not provide medical advice. diagnosis or treatment. 2021 But as critical care specialist Matthew Tomey, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, states, "The number one thing people shouldn't forget is that, even with statin therapy, lifestyle optimization, including diet optimization, remains important.". https://www.livestrong.com/article/302955-foods-to-avoid-with-cholesterol-meds "There are different ways that the body processes medicine in general — the liver and the kidneys are the two major organs that help us to break down and eliminate medicines and their byproducts," says Dr. Tomey. Pure sugar cane contains statins. Aged cheese/cured meats and antidepressants: These foods (plus avocados, chocolate, beer and wine) all contain the amino acid tyramine, which helps regulate blood … Your LDL cholesterol level in particular should be below 130 milligrams per deciliter, or 100 if you've had a heart attack and even lower if your heart attack or stroke risk is very high. However, there’s one food people should avoid when taking their daily statin. , Almost half of all men in those age brackets take a statin. … Privacy Policy | Advertising Policy | Cookie Policy | Privacy Preferences Center | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. If your cholesterol is beyond the healthy zone, you might start with lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber and getting the recommended 150 minutes of exercise every week, says the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. However, some other statins do not seem to be affected by grapefruit juice, … Copyright © The Effects of Eating Too Much Grapefruit, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Mayo Clinic: “Statins: Are These Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Right for You?”, Cleveland Clinic: “Do Your Statins and Grapefruit Safely Mix?”, Matthew I. Tomey, MD, critical care specialist, Mount Sinai Medical Center; assistant professor, medicine and cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, American Journal of Medicine: “Grapefruit Juice and Statins”, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: " High Blood Cholesterol", Harvard Health Publishing: "Grapefruit Juice and Statins", PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. But there's a catch. In this case, it's primarily grapefruit. Coconut oil. That study, which also includes pomegranates and celery on the list of foods with furanocoumarin, concluded that moderate amounts of grapefruit won't interfere significantly with statins. Leaf Group Ltd. Certain dairy products, mainly low-fat milk and yogurt, have been fortified with plant stenols to … A doctor may advise you to avoid it completely or only consume small quantities. Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice could turn those statins you're taking into health hazards. Statins, like many medications, can interact with certain foods. Pomegranate juice … Risk of Type 2 Diabetes on Statins Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM Full-Fat Yogurt. According to Crilly, grapefruit juice should be avoided by people who use statins. and High Cholesterol: Can You Avoid Statins? Which foods or drinks should be avoided while taking statin drugs? 7,752,060 and 8,719,052. These heart-damaging fats can reduce HDL (good) cholesterol levels and raise levels of LDL cholesterol. "I think it is totally reasonable to part with grapefruit juice if you can part with it, but it's not the end of the world if, once in a blue moon, you have a small glass of grapefruit juice," suggests Dr. Tomey. Read more: The Effects of Eating Too Much Grapefruit. Butter lovers would love to have their food made with their favorite … Full-fat yogurt is a cholesterol-rich food packed with nutrients like protein, … Read more: Foods to Avoid When Taking Antibiotics. Food and alcohol Grapefruit juice can affect some statins and increase your risk of side effects. The question, though, is how much grapefruit is considered too much for you to eat or drink? Supplements to avoid when taking statins include antioxidants, red yeast rice and grapefruit seed extract. Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help prevent statin side effects in some people, though more studies are needed to determine any benefits of taking it. In the liver, a set of enzymes works to break down statins. Here is a rundown of things you should look out for if you are taking a statin… Promptly consult your doctor or pharmacist. If so, your doctor may have prescribed a statin medication to help lower your LDL cholesterol. However, a number of things — like other medications you take, foods you eat and exposures in the environment — can affect these enzymes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 older women — 36% of those between 64 and 74 and 39% of those 75 and over — take statins in an attempt to prevent a first heart attack or to ward off a repeat heart attack. Avoid trans-fatty acids. Coconut oil has been a hot topic these days, and while it sounds healthy, it is not … If you've already had a heart attack, statins can help you avoid having another one, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment. For many there are no side effects at all, but some people do experience them. Here's how to protect yourself. Patients on statins should watch out for the following foods in their diets: Grapefruit and grapefruit juice: Certain statins—atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and simvastatin... Seville oranges, pomelos, and tangelos: … Quinolone antibiotics like Cipro (ciprofloxacin), levofloxacin and … . Sometimes, taking a combination of cholesterol drugs can provide the same result with lower doses of statins. It should not be The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. Trans-fats are found in many brands of margarine and in most heavily processed foods, such as chips, crackers and cookies, and in the oils used to cook fast-food … LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. To maximize the benefits the drug can offer, be sure to continue to lead a … In truth, it takes a lot. used as a substitute for professional medical advice, advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. If you take statins to improve your blood cholesterol levels, some supplements may … Copyright Policy This little known plugin reveals the answer. Very Important A change in your diet, medicine, or dosage may be necessary. But if taking all those steps isn't enough to improve your blood test results, your doctor will likely prescribe a statin. It has a big impact on atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor) and simvastatin (Zocor), but little or no effect on fluvastatin (Lescol), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol) and rosuvastatin (Crestor). While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment.