Juice and Medicine Don't Mix

A few years ago, I remember my father and step mother getting in the most peculiar argument. My step mother suggested that drinking juice was just as bad as drinking soda and that, essentially, people should really only drink milk and water. My father, who at points in his life has been paid to be in peak physical condition and takes that stuff seriously (he was a professional athlete years and years ago), bitterly resisted - saying that juice was an important part, when drinking it in moderation.

I don't know who was right, but I do know that my step mother has one more bullet point to add to her arsenal:

Drinking fruit juice dramatically reduces the effectiveness of drugs used to treat cancer, heart conditions and high blood pressure, scientists say.

Research has shown that orange, apple and grapefruit juice can also wipe out
the benefits of some antibiotics and hay-fever pills. It is thought the drinks stop drugs from entering the bloodstream and getting to work in the body - possibly rendering them useless.

The potential effects are so serious, researchers warned, that if in doubt, patients should swap fruit juices for water when on medication.

Of course, readers will note I'm a big fan of water - well, tap water anyway. Over the course of this summer, I've almost ceased drinking anything but good old h2o - and the occasional iced latte, of course.