There are many reasons why one may want to include fruit in their diet. Fruit provides essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs, however some fruits can be bad for your heart. Some contain too much sugar, while others simply don’t mix well with the medications you might take for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Here are 9 fruits to avoid if you want to keep your heart healthy!
1.) Guava
Guavas are delicious tropical fruits originating from South America. They contain more than twice the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C – 68mg compared to 28mg – which is quite impressive. Unfortunately, this large amount of Vitamin C poses a risk to people taking certain types of medication, because it increases the potential side effects of these medications. For example, taking guava with ACE inhibitors – medication commonly prescribed for high blood pressure – can cause angioedema, which is a serious allergic reaction that causes swelling to the face, lips and throat. In addition, people taking blood thinners such as warfarin should avoid guavas because they make this medication less effective by increasing its concentration in your bloodstream.
2.) Pomegranate
Pomegranates are among the best-known superfoods due to their large amount of antioxidants. They boast an ORAC value (a measurement of antioxidant capacity in food) of 2,170 umol TE/100g, which means they’re filled with nutrients that protect you from free radicals. Unfortunately, too many pomegranates may decrease your potassium levels due to its diuretic effect. Diuretics increase the frequency at which you need to use the bathroom, and your potassium levels can fall to low if you eat too much pomegranate.
3.) Passion fruit
Passion fruit is high in antioxidants and contains a substance called lycopene, which has been suggested to lower the risk of heart disease. However, its tangy flavor can make it difficult to digest for people with certain medical conditions such as hiatus hernia, causing indigestion and reflux. Furthermore, passionfruit should be avoided by people taking beta-blockers (medications used to treat high blood pressure) because it might increase the concentration of these medications in your bloodstream causing potential harmful effects.
4.) Watermelon
Watermelons are enjoyed all over the world in the hot summer months! Unfortunately, the citrulline in watermelons can interact with certain medications, such as blood pressure medication and erectile dysfunction medication, causing your blood pressure to drop dangerously low.
5.) Kiwi fruit
Kiwi fruits are one of the top sources of Vitamin C – approximately 33% of the daily recommended intake per 100g. However, people taking ACE inhibitors should avoid kiwis due to their high vitamin C content. Why? One kiwi contains 1mg of Vitamin C, which is 1/3rd of an adult’s maximum daily dose (4mg)! This excessive amount of Vitamin C may cause problems for people who take these kinds of medications.
6.) Jackfruit
Jackfruits have a large range of vitamins and minerals, but unfortunately, they also contain a lot of fiber (around 7g per 100g according to the USDA database), which is known to decrease the absorption of certain medications. This makes it difficult for your body to break down and process these drugs, therefore increasing their exposure. So make sure you always take your medication before or after eating jackfruit!
7.) Blueberries
Blueberries are not only delicious but also offer many health benefits – including improved memory function, reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes prevention, cancer prevention and protection against Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, blueberries can interact with some medications, such as warfarin (a blood thinner), causing side effects that are severe depending on how much you eat. These effects include internal bleeding and bruising.
8.) Avocado
Avocados contain healthy fats such as oleic acid, which help to lower cholesterol levels. They provide protein, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and potassium, which all help to reduce heart disease risk. Unfortunately, there’s a catch – people taking statins (cholesterol medication) should avoid avocados because they contain the amino acid tyramine that can interact with these medications. The effects of this interaction include muscle damage and kidney problems.
9.) Durian
Durians are very healthy fruits containing high levels of dietary fiber, B-vitamins, Vitamin C and many minerals. However, its flavor is something to be acquired. It is suggested that durians might lower cholesterol levels due to its strong smell which has been suggested to be caused by sulphur compounds. According to the European Food Safety Authority, however, there isn’t enough research to provide reliable information about the effect of durian on human health. People taking statins should avoid eating durians because their high cholesterol-lowering properties might reduce the effectiveness of these medicines.
Conclusion
Fruits are delicious and offer many health benefits – but they also contain certain components that may interact with medications, causing serious negative effects. To prevent this, people taking medication should always check whether the food they eat contains any of the ingredients in their medicine and always talk to a doctor or pharmacist if they have any concerns about consuming fruits while being on medication.
Want to know how to get the health benefits and nutrition of these 10 fruits without having to avoid them? Click HERE to learn more.
