 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Dr. Raul Mendez, another physician involved in the case, recommended a series of follow-up tests. One of them showed that the woman had the factor V Leiden mutation, which also increases the risk of blood clots.
So it was the combination of grapefruit juice, the estrogen in the birth control pill, the clot-inducing mutation and just sitting in the car in a position that narrowed the blood vessel, that threatened amputation of the leg, Grande said.
This means there is no great lesson for people in general from the episode, she said. "Grapefruit juice is not a threat to society at large," she said. "It is very healthy in most cases. I believe this was a unique situation, and it should not discourage people from eating grapefruit."
Text Continues Below
Still, it's best for someone who intends to embark on an unusual diet, such as one that includes a lot of grapefruit, to consult a doctor about possible interactions with any medications that the person might be taking, Grande said.
"You should consult a physician about any major change in lifestyle," she said.
Its not fair to blame the grapefruit for the woman's problem, said Dr. Alan Blum, a professor of family medicine at the University of Alabama. The effects of the long auto trip she took and the oral contraceptive she was taking would be "far greater risks for a deep vein thrombosis than a total of three grapefruits over three days," Blum said.
"The bottom line is that grapefruit remains a healthful, I'd even call it essential, food for the vast majority of people," he said. "The scary message from this case report, if widely disseminated, will do far more harm than good to public health."
More information
Interactions between grapefruit juice and medications are described by the University of Florida.
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
|
.gif)
