When you take birth-control pills to prevent pregnancy, you rely on their consistent effectiveness. However, certain foods and medications can compromise that effectiveness. One such food is the grapefruit. Knowing how the grapefruit could affect...
Mirena is a form of birth control that releases daily amounts of the hormone levonorgestrel (a type of progestin) into the uterus. Once the T-shaped plastic intrauterine device (IUD) has been inserted by a health care professional, patients must...
There is nothing inherently bad about grapefruit. Virtually fat-free, this fruit provides potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C for just 53 calories in half a medium grapefruit. And not all versions of the grapefruit diet, a regimen that calls for...
The NuvaRing is a very small, flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina for contraception. The hormones in the NuvaRing are the same hormones as in the birth control pill---estrogen and progestin--according to Planned Parenthood. These...
The grapefruit diet promises weight loss, which is given credibility by a 2009 University of Ontario Study led by Murray Huff and a book that came out in the 1990s entitled "Foods that Cause You to Lose Weight: the Negative Calorie Effect."...
For many people, the benefits of contraceptives--particularly contraceptives such as condoms, which can help prevent the spread of disease--far outweigh the risks. However, there are risks associated with most of the common forms of contraceptives...
Birth control pills have been in the top two of all birth control options in the United States since 1982. Statistically speaking then, a very large number of U.S. women use the contraceptive pill to prevent pregnancy. That means a very large...
Grapefruit juice contains a fat-burning flavanoid, so it seems natural to look to grapefruit juice as a weight loss aid. You can certainly include grapefruit juice as part of a healthy diet. However, drinking grapefruit juice specifically for its...
Grapefruit has been advertised to women as a get-thin food since the 1930s. Women have been told that if they eat grapefruit with every meal, they will lose weight. The grapefruit diet has even been studied -- on mice, not women -- and a flavonoid...
When most women think about improving their cholesterol score, they think about lowering their LDL, or bad cholesterol. In fact, though, it's just as important to maintain high levels of HDL, the good kind of cholesterol. According to the American...
Grapefruit seems a harmless enough fruit. Packed with vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, grapefruit contains few calories and practically no fat. If you don't take any medications, grapefruit makes a healthy breakfast fruit or snack. But...
Grapefruit can cause adverse reactions with many medications, including many antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs. As of August 2011, the antidepressant Celexa is not one of the antidepressants known to be adversely affected by grapefruit....
The birth control pill is a medication that women take every day to regulate their periods and prevent pregnancy. Some brands also have other uses, such as reducing acne. If you take birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, certain herbs and...
Some medicines aimed at reducing blood pressure, including calcium channel blockers, can become dangerous if consumed with grapefruit. Grapefruit can elevate the amount of calcium channel blockers in your bloodstream, increasing the medication's...
Taking hormones is not something that any women should enter into lightly. Women need to consider the risks of taking estrogen and progesterone before taking birth control or hormone replacement therapy. Progesterone can protect your uterus from...
Grapefruit, when combined with contraceptive birth control pills, can raise your estrogen levels. Contraceptive birth control pills have been one of the top two most popular birth control methods used by women in the United States since 1982....
Yeast infections are caused by a fungus called Candida albicans and can occur in the vagina, mouth, stomach skin or urinary tract. Both olive leaf extract and grapefruit seed extract products are sold as antimicrobials to fight off various...
The common cold can't be cured by medication, including alternative remedies, according to MayoClinic.com. The common cold is a virus that attacks your nose and throat. Many, but not all, grapefruit seed extract supplements possess antimicrobial...
Vaginitis is a condition in which the vagina becomes inflamed. Causes include yeast infections, bacterial infections, vaginal atrophy and the sexually transmitted disease trichomoniasis. Grapefruit seed extract is a dietary supplement promoted as...
If a grapefruit seed extract supplement product contains chemicals, as many do, it may prove effective in treating strep throat. If a grapefruit seed extract supplement does not contain chemicals, it will not treat strep throat. Nothing in pure...
Grapefruit seed extract is sold as an antimicrobial and marketed as a natural way to fight off infections. But grapefruit seed extract supplements may contain added chemicals, some of them potentially harmful. Some grapefruit seed extract products...
Earaches can produce temporary or constant pain that can burn, be sharp or feel dull. An ear infection may come along with a fever. An earache may even be caused by referred pain from a sore throat, advises the New York Times. There are many...
Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice if you take calcium channel blockers, a type of blood pressure medication. Grapefruit can prevent your body from properly metabolizing medications. With some drugs and some people, serious interactions may...
