Can drinking grapefruit juice improve the absorption of oral prohormones? If you’ve bought oral prohormones, you’ll know that they aren’t cheap. So it’s natural that you’d want to get the best value out of what you’ve bought.
So if someone suggested drinking grapefruit juice could increase the absorption of your prohormones, you’d be interested, wouldn’t you?
Grapefruit Juice and Prohormones – The Science Bit
When you take prohormones (or any oral supplement or drug for that matter), the pills or capsules hit your digestive system. Your digestive tract is basically a big basin and metres of tubes filled with acid and enzymes that will disolve and digest your food. So when you put drugs or supplements in there, your body does the same thing.
One group of enzymes in particular do a really good job of breaking down medicines and supplements. This reduces the amount that makes it into your blood.
However, grapefruit juice contains a chemicals called ‘furanocoumarins’. These stop the supplement-hating enzymes from doing their job and so more goes into your system (Source).
This can be bad for people on some medications but theoretically could increase the absorption of prohormone supplements taken in capsule form.
But, this might not be a good idea as increasing the rate of absorption will also increase the likelihood and severity of any side effects. You should be especially mindful if your taking some of the stronger supplements like Superdrol.
Alternatives to Grapefruit Juice for Better Absorption
There is another downside. If you’re chugging back glasses of grapefruit juice three times a day, that’s quite a lot of extra calories and sugar in the form of fructose (natural fruit sugar). You could be adding an extra 60 grams of sugar per day as a 250ml glass has around 22g.
If you’re being disciplined with your diet, sugar isn’t necessarily something you want to add.
So, are there alternatives that deliver the furanocoumarins without the sugar hit.
This is the tricky part. You can buy grapefruit seed extract which is taken as an antimicrobial or antioxidant supplement, however there doesn’t seem to be a lot of connection between the seed extract and increased absorption of other supplements.
The advantage is that grapefruit seed extract is inexpensive and can be easily bought online. Worth a try for your next cycle? Maybe. That’s up to you.
(click here to buy on Amazon)
Summary
There is good science behind grapefruit juice and increased absorption of medications, and therefore there is likely to be an increased rate of absorption for prohormones. However there is less evidence to support the use of supplements like grapefruit seed extract although the low cost may make it worth a try.
If you take prohormones, know that side effects may be increased by grapefruit juice. Always run prohormone cycles with cycle support and a full period of post cycle therapy (PCT).
Remember: None of this is legal or medical advice and you should speak to a doctor if in any doubt or starting to take a new supplement.
Yours in Iron
Jack
P.S. Why not check out our other articles on prohormones including:
