This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The goal of estrogen replacement therapy is to bring low estradiol levels back into healthy ranges. Select one or more newsletters to continue. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1998;46:101-110. Probably not. Over time, with frequent grapefruit consumption while taking estrogen medications, patients may even see estrogen levels increase by up to 30%. So, how exactly does a grapefruit interact with medications like estradiol? Then, we work to find underlying causes of your symptoms and find personalized treatment solutions for you. Estradiol is the more potent form of the hormone, and the National Institute of Health deems it the most form of estrogen in a woman’s body. Sanofi-Aventis. A prospective study of grapefruit and grapefruit juice intake and breast cancer risk. Long-Term Effects of High Estrogen Levels. 2013; 65(5): 644–652. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can react with hundreds of prescription medications. Grapefruit can increase the amount of estrogen in your body, and high estrogen levels in your body can increase your risk for certain conditions. Cranberry juice has not been shown to interact with birth control, but the blood thinner warfarin (an anticoagulant) has been shown to have an interaction with cranberry. However, the interaction can be variable based on the amount of the CYP enzyme in each person’s intestine and the drug consumed. An estimated 21% of American households purchase grapefruit juice, with many more eating the fruit whole. They can change how cells in your body function. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 2 Nov 2020), Cerner Multum™ (updated 2 Nov 2020), ASHP (updated 23 Oct 2020) and others. Grapefruit, grapefruit juice and birth control combined decrease the activity of the enzymes that break down estrogen, leading to the higher blood levels of estrogen. Grapefruits and grapefruit juice affects how your body absorbs certain medications. COPYRIGHT 2009-2020. Some drugs known as enzyme inducers may increase the enzyme activity and lower the effectiveness of an oral contraceptive. When we posted last July about the risk of eating grapefruit when taking certain medications and the potential link to breast cancer in post-menopausal women, we recevied quite a bit of feedback. Q: Stephanie, do you know if grapefruit essential oil, or pink grapefruit essential oil, increases estrogen in the body? Estrogen levels increase when the combined oral birth control pill is taken. One of these enzymes is the CYP3A4 enzyme, primarily found in your liver and digestive tract. some anti-seizure medications or anticonvulsants (e.g., Weber A, Jäger R, Börner A, et al. While this may seem like an unusual warning, it’s more common than you might think. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Target cells have receptors to a particular hormone that allows it to change the cell’s function. Grapefruits and grapefruit juice affects how your body absorbs certain medications. In many cases, this may increase the amount of medication that goes into your bloodstream. You may need to use an additional (back-up) form of birth control like condoms while using the enzyme inducer and for one cycle after you stop taking the inducer.