Grapefruit seltzer and meds

[Anonymous]

I've felt free to drink grapefruit-flavored seltzer even though I'm taking meds that could be affected by grapefruit, and I know I'm not alone in that. But I recently started looking at flavor essences for a different purpose (flavoring my own coffee, and no, I wasn't thinking of grapefruit flavored coffee), and that got me wondering whether grapefruit flavor really is just flavor.

This article is admittedly way above my head for the most part:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9333421/#

I think I understand some of the numbers, though. This excerpt

Furanocoumarins and their dimers have also been analyzed in commercial grapefruit juice. In a study comparing 28 white grapefruit juices, the average concentrations of bergamottin, GF-I-1 (paradisin A) and GF-I-4 (paradisin B) were 5.6 μg/mL, 0.32 μg/mL, and 0.96 μg/mL, respectively

tells me the total average concentration of furanocoumarins in the analyzed juices was 6.9 μg/mL. And this excerpt

By using HPLC coupled with MS, the total concentration of furanocoumarins in the grapefruit oil was found to be 2236.7 μg/mL.

tells me the total concentration of furanocoumarins in the tested grapefruit oil was over 300x the concentration in grapefruit juice.

Then the next question is, how much are grapefruit oils diluted when used to make beverages? The extracts sold online are supposed to be used at around 1% concentration in drinks, but they aren't pure flavoring, rather they're mixed with a carrier. Picking easy numbers, if the extract is 1/3 flavoring then a drink made with extract at 1% concentration would have the same furanocoumarin content as grapefruit juice.

Anyway, considering the meds I'm taking, I think I'll use the 12-pack of LeCroix Pamplemousse I have in the pantry, but I won't buy anymore.

[Anonymous]

Statin? I don’t drink grapefruit seltzer but I don’t care for the taste of grapefruit, so it’s an easy give.

You’ll likely get a lot of snarky comments about the effort you’ve expended here, OP, but I’m into it. We’d be friends IRL.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine but you could ask your Dr.

[Anonymous]

I take a med that doesn’t allow for grapefruit and I nix anything even grapefruit flavored. There are so many other flavors in the world, it’s not worth my time to track down the information, if it exists, and see if those grapefruit flavored beverages are safe.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the med. Wouldn’t risk it with warfarin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've felt free to drink grapefruit-flavored seltzer even though I'm taking meds that could be affected by grapefruit, and I know I'm not alone in that. But I recently started looking at flavor essences for a different purpose (flavoring my own coffee, and no, I wasn't thinking of grapefruit flavored coffee), and that got me wondering whether grapefruit flavor really is just flavor.

This article is admittedly way above my head for the most part:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9333421/#

I think I understand some of the numbers, though. This excerpt

Furanocoumarins and their dimers have also been analyzed in commercial grapefruit juice. In a study comparing 28 white grapefruit juices, the average concentrations of bergamottin, GF-I-1 (paradisin A) and GF-I-4 (paradisin B) were 5.6 μg/mL, 0.32 μg/mL, and 0.96 μg/mL, respectively

tells me the total average concentration of furanocoumarins in the analyzed juices was 6.9 μg/mL. And this excerpt

By using HPLC coupled with MS, the total concentration of furanocoumarins in the grapefruit oil was found to be 2236.7 μg/mL.

tells me the total concentration of furanocoumarins in the tested grapefruit oil was over 300x the concentration in grapefruit juice.

Then the next question is, how much are grapefruit oils diluted when used to make beverages? The extracts sold online are supposed to be used at around 1% concentration in drinks, but they aren't pure flavoring, rather they're mixed with a carrier. Picking easy numbers, if the extract is 1/3 flavoring then a drink made with extract at 1% concentration would have the same furanocoumarin content as grapefruit juice.

Anyway, considering the meds I'm taking, I think I'll use the 12-pack of LeCroix Pamplemousse I have in the pantry, but I won't buy anymore.

THIS is what you worry and obsess about? It's a non-issue. Also, anything called "flavored" or "natural flavors" are just chemicals that mimic a flavor.
Real grapefruit juice is expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
THIS is what you worry and obsess about? It's a non-issue. Also, anything called "flavored" or "natural flavors" are just chemicals that mimic a flavor.
Real grapefruit juice is expensive.

LaCroix says their grapefruit flavor is derived from grapefruit oil. If it had nothing from grapefruit and no chance of drug interaction, that would be a selling point for them.

[Anonymous]

I skip it but ask your pharmacist.