Grapefruit

Grapefruit
	A basket of grapefruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Citrus
Species:	C. paradisi
Binomial name
	Citrus paradisi; Macfad.

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit grown in sub-tropical places. It is bigger than an orange and is often more sour, but many types of grapefruit have other flavors. The fruit can grow 10-15cm in diameter.

In 2007, there were about 5,061,023 tons of grapefruits made worldwide, most of the tons coming from the U.S. There are many different kinds of grapefruits with different color pulp. The most popular colors are red, white and pink. There are also a wide range of flavors, from highly acidic and bitter to sweet.

The tree which the grapefruit grows on is normally 5-6 meters tall but can reach up to 15 meters tall. It has dark green leaves that measure up to 150mm and has white flowers that grow 5cm in length.^[source?]

Drug interactions

While they were doing research for a drug against high blood pressure in 1989, scientists found that its effectiveness was worse in people who had eaten grapefruit.^[1] Two years later, at the start of 1991, they published their findings in the scientific journal The Lancet.^[2] Since then, several substances that are present in the grapefruit and grapefruit juice have been identified,^[3] which cause side-effects in certain drugs. That is because grapefruit acts on enzymes in the liver, like the cytochrome CYP3A.^[3] Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interact with numerous drugs, resulting in adverse effects^[4]^[5] like:

rhabdomyolysis (skeletal breakdown)
myelotoxicity (less bone marrow)
nephrotoxicity (damage to the kidneys)
abnormal heart rhythm called torsade de pointes
hypotension (low blood pressure)
gastrointestinal bleeding
dizziness
respiratory depression (failing to breathe)

Another effect is that grapefruit compounds may inhibit the absorption of drugs in the intestine. If a drug is not absorbed, then not enough of it is in the blood to have a therapeutic effect. Each affected drug has either a specific increase of effect or decrease.^[6]One whole grapefruit or a glass of 200 ml (7 US fl oz) of grapefruit juice may cause drug overdose toxicity.^[4] Very often, the fact that a drug has interactions with grapefruit or grapefruit juice is indicated on the packaging, or the usage instructions.^[4]

Grapefruit Media

Grapefruit growing in the grape-like clusters from which their name may derive
Diese Fotografie zeigt zwei Grapefruits (Citrus ×paradisi) mit rotem Fruchtfleisch, eine davon in Stücke geschnitten.
Grapefruit juice contains bergamottin, one of the furanocoumarins which inhibit the metabolism of many drugs, causing multiple side-effects.
The grapefruit, like many cultivated Citrus species, is a hybrid, in its case of the sweet orange and pomelo.
Kimball Chase Atwood founded the Atwood Grapefruit Company in the late 19th century. It became the largest grapefruit grove in the world.
Caramelized Grapefruit served at a diner
Roasted grapefruit chicken
Salmon tartar with spinach and red grapefruit
Greyhound cocktail, with gin and juice
The fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa, a serious pest in the New World