Most Americans who drink grapefruit juice do so for breakfast -- a time of day when many people also take medications. Grapefruit is a delicious citrus fruit with many health benefits. While drinking red grapefruit juice may prove effective in naturally lowering your blood pressure, if you take any kind of medication -- not just blood pressure or cholesterol-lowering drugs -- consult a medical professional before adding grapefruit juice to your diet.Kathryn Gilhuly is a wellness coach based in San Diego. If you take statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, do not combine them with grapefruit juice.Gorinstein’s grapefruit study, published in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” in 2006, showed that consuming grapefruit may help naturally lower your cholesterol and, in turn, blood pressure. Calcium channel blockers work by preventing calcium from getting into your blood vessels and heart. It’s important to remember that just one whole grapefruit or about one large glass of juice is enough to change the blood levels of many drugs. One study of postmenopausal women reported that 11.5 ounces of grapefruit juice a day “is beneficial for arterial stiffness.” Improving arterial flexibility is a good thing (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July, 2015). This improves the profile of lipoproteins in the blood and decreases deaths from heart disease in patients at risk of it (Statins can cause rhabdomyolysis, or the breakdown of muscle tissue. Excessive eplerenone levels can cause too much potassium in the blood, which can interfere with heart rhythm (Though grapefruit does not interfere with most blood pressure medications, it can cause a few medications to overcorrect blood pressure.Grapefruit influences a few medications that treat abnormal heart rhythms. Statins work by limiting the natural production of cholesterol. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Even small amounts of grapefruit can interact with some medications and cause serious side effects.Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking these medications can lead to higher levels of them in your blood — and more side effects. But remember to check with your doctor first if you take any medicine, even if it's not a cholesterol-lowering drug. Your heart could stop beating.If you take calcium channel blockers, a type of blood pressure medication, do not mix them with grapefruit. This resulted in a rapid drop in blood pressure, which could be dangerous if unsupervised (Losartan is unusual in that grapefruit decreases its effects, potentially limiting its ability to control blood pressure (Eplerenone works similarly to losartan, but its levels increase when taken with grapefruit. If you take any type of blood pressure medication, ask your doctor if you can safely combine it with grapefruit juice.If you have high blood pressure, you may also have high cholesterol. If blood pressure medications build up in your system, your blood pressure could drop to dangerously low levels. Medications are processed in your liver and small intestine by a specialized group of proteins called cytochrome P450 (CYPs).CYPs break down medications, reducing the blood levels of many of them. And some of these medications may have serious side effects when they interact with grapefruit. stated that red grapefruit?s blend of antioxidant-rich vitamins and carotenoids are effective in lowering triglyceride levels and LDL … This may affect heart rhythm or function (Because antimicrobials are generally taken for a limited time, perhaps it’s easiest to simply avoid grapefruit while taking these medications. If you reduce your triglycerides, an artery-clogging fat, blood flows more easily to and from your vital organs, naturally lowering your blood pressure. One study found blood levels of nifedipine increased dramatically when taken with about 2 cups (500 mL) of grapefruit juice, compared with no juice. At the end of the month, those who consumed grapefruit enjoyed a reduction in their triglycerides, a type of lipid that contributes to your total cholesterol levels. That could be a good thing for some men with erectile dysfunction, but it could trigger headaches, flushing, or low blood pressure. This can lead to bleeding or less effective prevention of blood clots.Multiple pain medications are affected by grapefruit: Fentanyl and oxycodone are narcotic pain relievers. An international study, with results published in an article in the 2006 issue of ?Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,? 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