HUH: THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID GRAPEFRUIT IF YOU'RE ON THE PILL

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: this is why you should avoid grapefruit if you're on the pill.

I knew that alcohol and medication don't really mix well. Although I must admit that I don't always stick to that, which may not always be very wise. But hey, you do that consciously. What you apparently also need to avoid is grapefruit. Even if you're not taking medication, but just the pill. WHUT?

Well seriously, I had really never heard of this, but grapefruit and a lot of medication together are a no go. According to the general pharmacy website: ‘Substances in grapefruit and orange slow down the absorption of the medication or temporarily prevent it. As a result, less of the medication enters your body. The medication works less well. This happens every time you eat grapefruit or orange or drink its juice.’ Curious which medication this applies to? You can read it here.

Grapefruit and orange
Orange and grapefruit should preferably be completely avoided with many medications, and I really think that this should be more widely known. Especially that orange juice: so many people start their day with it. Does that also mean that an aspirin for your hangover doesn't work if you have a glass of juice alongside it? Suddenly, so much is becoming clear to me.

So avoid it
But hey, not eating these two fruits while on medication should be doable, but grapefruit in particular is something you should better avoid if you're taking the pill. If we Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics believe that at least, and I do. Grapefruit actually causes your CYP3A in your body to decrease, an enzyme that ensures that foreign substances are absorbed. And as a result, it may be that your pill is absorbed less well and therefore works less effectively.

And yes, this is also the case with the pill when it comes to oranges (and lemons), but to a lesser extent. Grapefruit is therefore the sly devil of the fruits.