When I was a boy living in Whangarei we had several poorman orange trees in our backyard.
Since my childhood the humble poorman orange (the most common variety was ‘Morrison seedless’) has been renamed ‘New Zealand grapefruit’ and laden trees are everywhere when they are in season. But you can’t give them away.
Rich in vitamins, juicy, lovely sprinkled with brown sugar and cooled overnight in the fridge, grapefruit make a tasty breakfast. But fewer and fewer people eat them any more. Why on earth is that? Postings on Grey Lynn Neighbourly offering them free receive no takers.
It’s all because of statins! Yes, those ubiquitous cholesterol lowerers have taken over thousands of people’s lives, and one of the instructions on every packet is "Do not eat grapefruit".
A search of Dr Google will confirm that indeed you should not eat grapefruit if you are taking statins. Scientific studies have shown that a group of compounds found in grapefruit known as furanocoumarins inhibit our metabolism of medications. But I just wondered if poorman oranges (according to experts, they are most likely to be tangelo or pomelo originally from Australia or China.) had the same problem enzyme as ‘real’ grapefruit, so that maybe doctors were selling us short on a juicy New Zealand treat. For many of us over 50, that means the rest of our natural life without grapefruit, because even if your cholesterol has fallen, you can be sure the drug companies will revise the danger levels down to ensure you still use a statin and line their pockets forever.
However, the news was not good for poorman orange eaters. They too, contain furanocoumarins, and should be avoided if you take statins. Even grapefruit marmalade on toast is not recommended, because even small amounts of marmalade have been shown to interact with medications.
The safest bet is to avoid all grapefruit and grapefruit products.
So, New Zealand grapefruit lie rotting on the ground, while we swallow pills by the bucket load.
It may well be, that New Zealanders are overusing statins. I have been enjoying grapefruit this season because I stopped taking statins a year ago, and my cholesterol levels have hardly altered. I have regular blood tests to check it out.
But, before you make any changes to your pill regime, don’t follow my suggestions, check with your medical professional first. (JOHN ELLIOTT)