Health Updates

Recently, I have written on the studies that show that lack of sleep can torpedo your efforts at dieting.  "How to lose weight while sleeping," December 11, 2012.  Well, a recent study in the medical journal, Sleep, has shown that losing sleep may also reduce your tolerance to pain. Although it is not known why, there appeared to be a connection between chronic sleep loss and acute pain.  So there is another reason to get your 8 hours every night.

In my November 29, 2012 post, "The Benefits of Tea and Why Starbucks is Getting into the Act," I wrote about all the health benefits of drinking tea.  A new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology has now demonstrated that coffee may also have some unexpected benefits.  The study conducted by a researcher from the National Cancer Society has found that drinking caffeinated coffee may reduce the risk of oral cancer. The risk was shown to be reduced significantly by those drinking 4 to 6 cups of coffee a day. 

Today's New York Times contains an article entitled "Grapefruit is a culprit in More Drug Reactions." I first reported on this same subject in my December 6, 2012 post, "Should You Be Eating that Grapefruit?" The Times article reiterates that eating grapefruit can heighten the effects of  certain common medications including birth control pills and estrogen.  The full list is on  the Times' website, www.nytimes.com.

Should You Be Eating That Grapefruit?

For years doctors have been advising patients who take cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor not to eat grapefruit. Most of us probably never knew why. A recent study in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, CMAJ, suggests that grapefruit as well as other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges and limes contain something called furanocoumarins which can inactivate a certain enzyme in the body. When that enzyme is inactivated, certain drugs remain in the system longer than they should.Serious side effects may result, including kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding and even sudden death.

The CMAJ study, which was conducted by a pharmacologist from the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada, concluded that as many as 85 drugs may interact with grapefruit and the other citrus fruits in that way. As little as one grapefruit or a 7 ounce glass of grapefruit juice can be enough to cause these problems. Those over the age of 45 are believed to be the most at risk.

While grapefruit  and Seville oranges (which is sometimes used in marmalade) appear to be the worst culprits, fortunately, the two common varieties of oranges, Valencia and navel oranges are not implicated.

Bottom line: before grabbing that glass of  grapefruit juice in the morning, talk to your doctor and ask her whether you might have a problem with an interaction with one of your medications. It may save your life.