Grapefruit juice can boost potency of cancer drugs

London: Drinking a glass of grapefruit juice a day could dramatically increase the effectiveness of cancer drugs, a new study has claimed. 

    Researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine found that patients who combined the fruit with a specific anti-cancer drug received the same benefits as they would have from taking more than three times of the medication by itself. 
    The combination could help patients avoid side effects associated with high doses of the drug. Grapefruit juice is known to prevent enzymes in the intestine that break down certain drugs, meaning more can enter the blood stream. This means doctors often tell patients to avoid the fruit when taking particular medications as it can cause side-effects. 
    "Grapefruit juice can significantly increase blood levels of many drugs. We wanted to see if it can be used in a controlled fashion to increase the availability and efficacy of sirolimus," study leader Dr Ezra Cohen said. Sirolimus is used to prevent rejection in organ transplant but is also being tested as a treatment for tumours. The study showed that patients who drank eight ounces of grapefruit a day increased their sirolimus levels by 350%. PTI

FRUITFUL OPTION