Please stay away from the grapefruit while you’re on anti-cancer.
On the road to the fight against tumours, anti-tumour drugs are undoubtedly a powerful weapon in the hands of patients. However, many patients may not know that there is an important dietary taboo during the use of anti-cancer drugs, namely to avoid eating Western grapefruit. Why does this seemingly ordinary fruit have to do with the anti-cancer drug?
First of all, we need to understand the unique composition of Western grapefruit. A grapefruit, also known as grapefruit, contains a compound called furfuran bean. This compound is not simple and can inhibit an important enzyme in humans, the cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP). And cytochrome P450 enzymes play a crucial role in drug metabolism in our bodies.
When we take anti-oncological drugs, the body needs to metabolize the drug through a range of mechanisms, such as cytochrome P450 enzymes, to enable it to perform the appropriate drug effects in the body, while at the same time being able to release the drug and its metabolite products in time to avoid overaccumulation and adverse reactions in the body. However, when a Western grapefruit is consumed during the use of anti-cancer drugs, the furfuran bean in the Western grapefruit “acts”. It inhibits the activity of the cytochrome P450 enzyme, as if the “production line” that metabolizes the drug had pressed the deceleration button.
So what’s the consequence? Anti-tumour drugs that should have been normally metabolized out of the body would have remained in the body for too long due to slower metabolism and higher levels. High levels of drugs, however, do not seem to be a good thing, which can significantly increase the likelihood of adverse drug reactions. For example, the potential for a more serious gastrointestinal reaction, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, which may have been mildly discomfort, has become unbearable because of the effects of Western grapefruit, which seriously affects the quality of life and physical recovery of patients.
Moreover, some anti-oncological drugs are inherently toxic and, in normal metabolic conditions, the body is able to withstand and treat these toxicity to some extent. However, when drug concentrations rise exceptionally, these toxicity levels may exceed the body ‘ s tolerance and cause damage to important organs of the body, such as the liver, kidneys, etc. Hepatic abnormalities may occur in the liver, in the form of increased retinolase; kidneys may decline, affecting the discharge of body waste and excess water.
Different types of anti-oncological drugs are also affected to a different extent by ecstasy. For example, a number of commonly used target anti-oncological drugs, such as Eroteini, Gifidini and others, are highly dependent on normal drug metabolism. Distortion in the body of the drug during its use may result in a significant reduction in the effect of its target on treatment. Drugs that would have been able to strike tumour cells with precision may not have functioned well because of unusual changes in concentrations, giving tumour cells a chance to breathe and continue to rage in their bodies, which is undoubtedly the most undesirable situation for patients.
So, is it all right if you don’t eat Western grapefruit? Actually not. In addition to the grapefruit itself, the juice and some beverages, foods and so forth, which contain the components of the grapefruit, also require special attention. Some patients may feel it is okay to just drink a small sip of Western grapefruit, but even if a small amount of it enters the body, it may inhibit the cytochrome P450 enzymes, thereby affecting the metabolism of anti-tumour drugs.
Therefore, during the use of anti-oncological drugs, the patient must keep his or her mouth under strict control and insist on “no” in the case of grapefruit and related products. Other safe fruits, such as oranges and oranges, can be chosen to replace grapefruit, which both meet the needs of patients for fruit and do not adversely affect ongoing anti-tumour treatment.
In addition, health-care providers should increase their efforts to educate patients about the use of medication and, in the introduction of anti-oncological drugs, clearly inform them of dietary taboos, with particular emphasis on the harmful effects of grapefruit. Let patients fully realize that every detail is essential in this difficult battle against tumours, and that small grapefruit may become a key factor influencing the success of treatment. It is only through a combination of patient and health-care personnel that the best possible treatment of anti-oncological drugs in the body can be ensured and that patients can move more smoothly towards rehabilitation.
In any event, the distance from Western grapefruit and its products during the use of anti-tumour drugs is an important measure to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment and to preserve the health of the patient.
Cancer
