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Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if grapefruit is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to normal food amounts.
A heart muscle disorder (cardiomyopathy): Drinking grapefruit juice might increase the risk for abnormal heart rhythm. People with this condition should consume grapefruit juice in moderation.
Hormone sensitive cancers and conditions: Drinking large amounts of grapefruit juice might increase hormone levels and therefore increase the risk of hormone sensitive conditions. People with hormone sensitive conditions should avoid grapefruit.
Irregular heartbeat: Eating large amounts of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice might worsen irregular heartbeat. Don't use grapefruit if you have this condition.
Postmenopausal adults: Postmenopausal adults should avoid drinking large amounts of grapefruit juice. It's been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in these patients. *
If you currently take any medications, it’s very important to check out the known grapefruit interactions with medications. There are many drugs that you absolutely cannot combine with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. In addition to doing your own research to verify that it’s safe for you to consume grapefruit, I also recommend checking with your doctor.
Why can grapefruit negatively or even dangerously react with some medications? You can thank its furanocoumarins, which are organic chemical compounds that block CYP3A4 enzymes in the human body. The problem is that these enzymes are required for the breakdown and elimination of over 50 percent of all drugs. Unfortunately, spacing out grapefruit consumption from interactive medications doesn’t seem to work either since CY enzymes can stay blocked after consuming grapefruit in any form for over 24 hours.
Some studies indicated that people with cancer or a risk for cancer, especially women with hormonally sensitive cancers like breast cancer, should avoid excessive consumption of grapefruits and grapefruit juice.
Another interaction to be mindful of is grapefruit and caffeine. Grapefruit may slow the body’s elimination of caffeine and, therefore, could lead to a higher likelihood of caffeine overdose effects like jitteriness and headaches. *
