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Hi List Friends, I believe this subject was covered some months ago but we have so many new people I will send this report from John Hopkins again. Denny N TODAY'S NEWS MINUTE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS ____________________________________________________________ Hopkins: Grapefruit Juice And Medications Great taste and plenty of vitamin C adds up to make grapefruit juice a healthy and popular drink. But it can turn into a dangerous cocktail for people taking medications. Scientists know that some ingredient in grapefruit juice inhibits the liver's ability to effectively metabolize many drugs. Unprocessed, they can build up in the body until they reach toxic levels. The list of drugs that grapefruit juice doesn't interact well with is a long one. Johns Hopkins professor of medicine Paul Lietman, M.D., Ph.D., says if you're taking a regular medicine, just a little juice may be enough to cause trouble. "A single glass of eight ounces of grapefruit juice will cause an effect that lasts for several hours," says Dr. Lietman. "If someone is simultaneously taking one of these drugs one could have severe toxicity, during that period of time." So if you're very partial to grapefruit juice, and are taking regular medications, don't gamble. Dr. Lietman suggests asking your physician or pharmacist if the two will safely mix. Copyright 1997 The Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved. ____________________________________________________________