Primary Care Physicians Say People Over 50 Should Be Careful With How Often They Eat This One Food

As you get older, you become more likely to take at least one prescription drug every day. This isn’t necessarily bad; Access to medicines that can support health and even save lives is worth taking advantage of.

According to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation89% of adults ages 65 and older and 75% of people ages 50 to 64 use prescription drugs. This is higher than the 51% of people aged 30 to 49 who take them.

Some of the most common prescription drugs used by people age 50 and older include: antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure lowering drugs, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Related: 2 Over-the-Counter Drugs You Should Never Combine, According to Doctors

For any prescription medication to work properly, it is important to take it correctly. This includes knowing when to take it, knowing how it may interact with other medications or supplements, and avoiding consuming foods or drinks with which it may interact negatively. You may already know that some medications should not be taken with alcohol or, in some cases, caffeine.

But there’s another common food you may not be aware of that can negatively interact with your medications. Here, primary care physicians explain what it is, its possible health effects, and what you can safely consume instead.

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Popular Foods People Over 50 May Need to Limit, According to Primary Care Physicians

It is a popular food that can negatively interact with many commonly prescribed medications. grapefruit. Dr. Krishna Patel, D.O., The most common medications that interact negatively with grapefruit include cardiovascular medications (such as statins taken to lower cholesterol), some blood pressure-lowering medications, psychiatric medications (such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications), immunosuppressants, and antihistamines, says a family physician at Ember Health.

“Research shows that grapefruit juice significantly increases the levels of these drugs because they all rely on the CYP3A4 enzyme to be metabolized. It increases the levels of these drugs much more than water does,” he explains. Dr. Parth Bhavsar, MDfamily medicine physician and founder of TeleDirectMD.

Relating to: Is This Everyday Spice Making Your Medicines Less Effective?

Dr. Bhavsar explains that grapefruit contains: furanocoumarinsThese are natural compounds. “These furanocoumarins block the CYP3A4 enzyme, preventing an enzyme in the intestine from working. This enzyme helps break down many drugs before they enter the bloodstream,” he says and adds: scientific studies show He noted that grapefruit may turn off this enzyme in the intestine, allowing more of the drug to enter the bloodstream than intended, and that this effect may persist for 24 to 72 hours after consuming grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice.

Dr. Patel confirms this, explaining that this interaction can lead to the body’s inability to properly metabolize the drug. This may cause high levels of the drug to remain in the body. “Effects depend on the drug, dosage, timing, and amount of grapefruit consumed. Often grapefruit can increase the level of the drug in the bloodstream, potentially causing more side effects or even toxicity,” he says.

Related: 5 Medications You Should Never, Ever Mix with Your Multivitamins Without Talking to Your Doctor

Dr. If a drug stays in the body’s system longer than it should, instead of being metabolized properly, it can increase the risk of side effects from the drug, Bhavsar says. For example, he explains, for some statins, greater availability of the drug in the body can lead to muscle problems or breakdown.

Dr. “More calcium channel blockers in the body can cause a large drop in blood pressure, dizziness and fainting. More anti-arrhythmic drugs in the body can cause serious heart rhythm problem. For organ transplant patients taking immune-suppressing drugs, a small amount of grapefruit may be enough to have a potentially toxic amount of the drug in the body,” says Dr. Bhavsar. Bhavsar gives more examples of what can happen.

What About Other Citrus Fruits?

Does taking one of the medications mentioned above mean you’ll never be able to enjoy grapefruit or grapefruit juice? Maybe or maybe not. The best way to find out is to ask your primary care provider.

“Eating small amounts of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with certain medications may still be safe. For example, consuming a modest amount such as half a grapefruit several times a week while taking a statin medication is unlikely to cause significant interactions, and the effect is modest if the medications are taken in the evening and the juice or fruit is consumed in the morning,” says Dr.

It is good to know that other citrus fruits besides grapefruit are safe to consume. “Other citrus fruits, other than grapefruit, can be considered safe as they do not significantly affect the enzyme. Oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes do not affect the enzyme as do grapefruits,” notes Dr. Bhavsar. But he warns that Seville oranges, pomelos and tangelos contain the same active ingredients as grapefruits, so it’s important to be careful with these fruits.

If you have questions about what foods and drinks may affect your medications, be sure to talk to your doctor. As delicious as grapefruit is, it’s not worth jeopardizing your health when there are so many fruits you can enjoy without risk.

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Related: Longevity Experts Say This Daily Habit Is Far More Important Than Supplements

Sources:

• Data Sheet: Prescription Drugs and Older Adults. Kaiser Family Foundation

• Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015-2016. National Center for Health Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Dr. Krishna Patel, D.O.Family medicine doctor at Ember Health

• Dr. Parth Bhavsar, MDfamily medicine physician and founder of TeleDirectMD

• Hung, W.L., Suh, J.H., and Wang, Y. (2016). Chemistry and health effects of furanocoumarins in grapefruit. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 25(1):71-83

• Berteina-Raboin, S. (2025). Flavonoids and Furanocoumarins Involved in Drug Interactions. Molecules. 30(8):1676

This story was first published by . Parade First appeared on March 10, 2026 Health and Wellness section. Add Parade as follows: Preferred Source by clicking here.