Should you eat grapefruit after drinking alcohol?

I often eat grapefruit after drinking alcohol because I feel that this fruit has a lot of water and vitamin C, which helps sober me up. What is the reality? (Tien, 40 years old, Hanoi )

Reply:

Grapefruit has many health benefits such as being used in traditional medicine to eliminate phlegm, treat coughs, prevent digestive disorders, and prevent motion sickness. Grapefruit is rich in vitamins and minerals that are very good for health.

However, people should be careful when using grapefruit in some cases. It is completely wrong to think that grapefruit contains a lot of water and is rich in vitamin C, so it can help sober up. In fact, grapefruit contains furanocoumarin compounds that increase intestinal enzymes, increasing the toxicity of ethanol in beer and wine, which is harmful to health. It is best to wait about 48 hours after drinking alcohol before eating grapefruit.

In addition to alcohol, people who are taking certain medications should also not eat grapefruit because it will reduce the effectiveness of the medication, such as some cancer medications, while this fruit is very good for diabetic patients.

Because of the different effects on health, experts recommend that people undergoing medical treatment should consult their doctor if they want to eat grapefruit to avoid side effects.

General practitioner Bui Dac Sang
Hanoi Oriental Medicine Association

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