DRINK WATCH

THIS week: Grapefruit juice

IF YOU’RE one of the estimated 8 million Britons on statins, be wary of drinking grapefruit juice — it can interact with certain statins, increasing the amount of the ingredient that’s absorbed into the bloodstream, so raising the risk of side-effects.

This can occur with one of the most commonly prescribed statins, simvastatin.

Another, atorvastatin, also interacts with grapefruit juice — but only if patients drink large amounts of more than 1.2 litres a day, says NHS Choices. They say it’s safe to eat or drink grapefruit and juice with all other statins.

Other drugs affected by grapefruit include calcium channel blockers — used to treat high blood pressure — and certain other medications used in Crohn’s disease and cancer.