The Healthy Food You May Consider Avoiding As You Get Older

As we age, our dietary needs (and needs overall) start to change. We need more of some nutrients and less of others, we may need to scale back on intense exercise routines, and we often start to introduce new medications to manage specific health conditions.

But back to food: With the ever-changing state of our bodies and health, it can be hard to know how to properly nourish ourselves at different life stages. But there’s one food registered dietitians say you should be extra careful about eating as you get older — and we’re going to guess you didn’t see this one coming.

According to three different registered dietitians we spoke with, there’s one food people need to be cautious about consuming as they get older: grapefruit. If your jaw is on the floor, we don’t blame you. Grapefruit is packed with vitamin C and is great for you, right?

Normally, yes. But for anyone taking medication to manage a health issue, grapefruit may interact negatively with it.

“Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are known to interfere with statins, which are used to reduce cholesterol,” said Sarah Hormachea, a registered dietitian at Nourish. “A compound in grapefruit called furanocoumarins competes with the enzyme in our liver that is used to metabolize statin medications.”

The exact amount of grapefruit that’s dangerous to ingest will vary based on a handful of factors, and you should always talk to your doctor about the amount that’s safe for you (if any). But in general, one whole grapefruit or glass of grapefruit juice is enough to negatively interact with certain types of medication.

Maria Emerick, another registered dietitian, adds that grapefruit can also interact negatively with blood thinners like warfarin, which is often known by