Unexpected Health Benefits Of Grapefruit. Merely hearing the name of this juicy fruit, or seeing it in the produce aisle, can make our palates cringe and our face scrunch up. Although the slightly bitter and sour grapefruit may not cater to some taste buds, its red, pink, and white pulp varieties are loaded with vitamins and minerals, which add on to its touted health benefits. The moon- shaped fruit is not only rich in vitamin C, but it also provides us with unexpected benefits — from our immune system to our metabolism. Lauren Blake, a registered dietician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, believes we should opt for the pink- and red- colored varieties to reap the most benefits of this cancer- fighting fruit. Strengthens Immune System. It is well known any fruit rich in vitamin C will strengthen and support our immune system. Vitamin C works with other micronutrients that provide good and regular nourishment for the body. Micronutrient deficiencies of vitamins A, B6, C, and E have been found to alter immune responses in animals and are thought to have a similar effect on the human immune response. This makes it helpful in controlling allergies, since it reduces histamine levels. Boosts Metabolism. ![]() ![]() Even if you add grapefruit juice before meals, you'll still need to eat fewer calories than you. Grapefruit juice can interact with medicines. While this research might tempt you to fill up on grapefruit to boost your weight loss campaign, if you’re. There is no direct evidence of a negative interaction between Grapefruit or grapefruit juice and Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza). Numerous weight loss products and diets promise rapid weight loss. WebMD explores rapid weight loss claims, types of diets, and the risks and benefits of rapid weight. Why should I sign up for WebMD? With a WebMD Account you can: Track your way to weight loss success; Manage your family's vaccinations; Join the conversation. Grapefruit – an 18th century hybrid of the pummelo and sweet orange - is grown mainly in the Americas. Its name derives from the fruit's appearance as. Although fad diets are generally unhealthy and ineffective, one aspect of the. Grapefruit is a popular diet staple among those looking to lose weight. A high metabolism can continue to burn fat in the body even when it is resting. ![]() ![]() A 2. 00. 6 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found people who ate half a grapefruit before each meal, without making any other dietary changes, lost an average of 3 and a half pounds over 1. The copious amount of enzymes, high- water content, and less sodium helps burn fat easily. Blake said: “While grapefruit does not have any magical fat- burning properties, it is low in calories and is a good source of fiber, which helps keep us full for longer by taking longer to digest. Grapefruit also has a high water content which can help you feel full and stay hydrated.”3. Reduces Kidney Stones Risk. Naringenin — known for its bitter taste of grapefruit — has been found to successfully prevent the formation of kidney cysts. According to a report by Alpha. Galileo. org, the naturally occurring compound regulates the PKD2 protein that is responsible for the condition. The antioxidant and anti- inflammatory effects not only help prevent the formation of cysts, but also reduce swelling in the kidneys that is caused by fluid retention. Drinking up to a liter of grapefruit juice daily will help reap the greatest benefits in effectively blocking the formation of kidney cysts. Fights Gum Disease. Simply eating two grapefruits a day can prevent and even reverse damage caused by gum disease. A 2. 00. 5 study published in the British Dental Journal found the daily consumption of grapefruit can reduce gum bleeding for those who suffer from gum disease. The participants in the study also showed an increase in their vitamin C levels, which aids in the repair of gums. Vitamin C, according to Blake, is essential for healthy gums, which helps keep our teeth firmly in place. Protects Against Cancer. The antioxidant vitamin C has been linked to decrease the risk of certain cancers. A 2. 00. 6 study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found grapefruits help repair damaged DNA in human prostate cancer cells. Naringenin stimulates DNA repair in these cancer cells and protects the body from developing cancer. She cautions these results are specific to vitamin C rich foods, rather than supplements. Reduces Stress. You don’t necessarily have to ingest grapefruit to reap its benefits. The smell of citrus fruit can make a difference on curbing our stress and anxiety levels, and depression. A 1. 99. 5 study published in the Japanese Journal of Psychopharmacology found citrus fragrance restored stress- induced immunosuppression, and induced calm behavior in mice. Research Review: The grapefruit diet - fad or science? Eat half a grapefruit before each meal and lose 1. But can it help with weight loss? A recent study looked at the age- old claim in an effort to get some answers. Introduction — Quack, quack goes the duck“Who’s that waddlin’ down the street. It’s just me ? Yes, I am! Every picture of me’s. Gotta be an aerial view. Now my doctor tells me. There’s just one thing left to do. Grapefruit Diet (Diet!)Throw out the pizza and beer. Grapefruit Diet (Diet!)Oh, get those jelly donuts out of here. Grapefruit Diet (Diet!)Might seem a little severe. Grapefruit Diet (Diet!)I’m gettin’ tired of my big fat rear. Blow, fatty!”– Lyrics from Wierd Al Yankovic’s Hit “The Grapefruit Diet” Lose up to 1. Quack, quack, ding, ding – that statement should set off some warning bells and let you know there is some quackery afoot. Satirized with the usual irreverence and mild cruelty by Weird Al Yankovic, fad diets will never die — not as long as we live in a world where people seek immediate gratification. Unfortunately for many vulnerable or hurried consumers, the appeal of instant results perpetuates the demand for information, products, or plans promising overnight success. The Grapefruit Diet, also known as the Hollywood Diet, or the Mayo Clinic Diet (although it’s not even remotely associated with the real Mayo Clinic), is based on the premise that grapefruit possesses near- magical powers. Proponents of the diet claim that eating half a grapefruit before meals high in protein and fat produces a metabolic reaction that transforms even the meekest office worker into a magnificent fat- burning machine. The thermogenic powers supposedly stem from a special fat- burning enzyme in grapefruit that acts as a catalyst to help your body incinerate high fat foods, which in turn results in fast weight loss. Grapefruit – a thermogenic super fruit? This is all well and good, but did you read the fine print stating that you also need to restrict your total daily calorie intake to 8. So where do the 8. You guessed it: meat, meat, and more meat. Sounds a bit reminiscent of Atkins, doesn’t it? But actually, Atkins followed the Grapefruit Diet, and not the other way around. Fad diet history lesson. Over eighty years. The Grapefruit Diet has been around that long. Eighty years ago puts us somewhere in the 1. Pluto was discovered, the Mickey Mouse comic strip first appeared, and Hostess Twinkies were invented (1). Hmm, I wonder if the Twinkies had anything to do with it? The diet made a big resurgence in the 1. Mayo Clinic Diet.” As you can imagine, the doctors and dietitians at Mayo weren’t too happy about that. Fun factoid: The Cabbage Soup Diet makes similar weight loss claims to the Grapefruit Diet (lose 1. However, the origin of that diet isn’t as clear and there are no accompanying arguments that cabbage has special fat- burning powers. It is simply a very low calorie diet that can make you really gassy. Ewww. Science or myth? Have any clinical research studies evaluated grapefruit’s fat- burning enzyme potential? The answer to that is yes and no. Early studies did suggest that subjects on the grapefruit diet would lose weight, but this was most likely due to calorie restriction rather than any special fat- burning properties of the grapefruit itself. However, before we dismiss the claims of this diet completely, let’s take a closer look. After all, it’s possible that calorie restriction is not the only reason the diet helps people lose weight. Proponents of the diet could be in the right church but the wrong pew. Maybe they’re wrong about those magical fat- burning enzymes. But maybe grapefruit’s phytochemicals have an effect on weight loss, or maybe something in the fruit promotes satiety. Satiety and weight loss. Let’s look at satiety and weight loss first. A recent study evaluating the satiating effects of eating or drinking something low in calories before meals compared grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and water. The subjects lost weight, although not a lot. But it didn’t matter which of the pre- meal snacks they had (2). All had some small effect. However, a second study showed the opposite. Subjects who ate grapefruit lost more weight than those who ate a placebo (3). Makes you want to scratch your head and wonder, doesn’t it? However, overall it seems that eating any low calorie snack before a meal may help you eat less in total. Grapefruit itself isn’t the key. Grapefruit and phytochemicals. But what about grapefruit’s phytochemical content? Now we might be on to something. We know that phytochemicals (plant chemicals) are absolute superstars when it comes to decreasing our risk of contracting a host of chronic diseases. Citrus, and in particular, grapefruit, contains two of these superstars, flavonones called naringin and hesperidin. Studies conducted in mice and rats have confirmed that naringin and hesperidin act as antioxidants in the fight against free radicals, and reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. However, we can’t be as confident about these effects in humans. We’d need more studies with larger sample sizes to make that call. And at these high doses, we see even more evidence that phytochemicals lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Not only that, but in rats, wait for it. Remember, that study focused on rats who were fed a high dose of the concentrated phytochemical, not rats being served half a grapefruit before each meal. What to make of all this? Clearly more research is needed to see if the phytochemicals could be responsible for weight loss and other health benefits. Thank goodness researchers are a determined, inquisitive bunch, because this week’s research review builds on the best features of the previous studies in order to see if any clear answers to these ongoing questions can be found. Research question. This week’s research review aimed to determine if eating half a grapefruit before each meal decreases weight, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels. Dow, C. A., Going, S. B, Chow, H- H, S., Patil, B. S., Thomson, C. A. The effects of daily consumption of grapefruit on body weight, lipids, and blood pressure in healthy, overweight adults. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Methods. This study used a randomized controlled design in which 7. The study timing corresponded to seasonal grapefruit crop production. The study lasted for a total of nine weeks: a three- week “washout” phase followed by a six- week diet intervention. An important note here on the study design is that it was not “blinded,” meaning that subjects knew which group they belonged to. Potentially, this could produce some bias. Keep that in mind when evaluating the results. Subjects. The researchers screened almost 3. Excluded from the study were smokers, post- menopausal women, individuals who had a co- morbidity like diabetes, high cholesterol, etc., those taking certain medications, those whose BMI (body mass index) was too high, and those whose weight was unstable. In other words, the researchers wanted “healthy” overweight individuals. During the washout diet phase, they lost a few participants, so they ended up with a total of 7. The control group included 2. Sometimes it’s more difficult to detect a significant difference in a healthy population, but based on some fancy statistical calculations, this sample size qualifies as large enough to determine meaningful differences between the control group and the test group, if any exist. Diet intervention. The first three weeks of the study was a “washout phase.” Participants followed a restricted diet to clear the body of any foods that might affect the study outcomes. Because this study was designed to determine whether or not there were active compounds in grapefruit that were responsible for potential health benefits, during the washout phase, participants were not allowed to eat any fruits or vegetables that were high in two classes of phytochemicals: polyphenols and carotenoids. Bummer – that meant no citrus, berries, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, grapes, kale, and so on. Yikes! I would have been one of those in the “discontinued trial because diet was too strict” category. After the washout, the 6- week intervention started. Both the control and the intervention group had to continue with the washout diet as their “background” diet, with the intervention group supplementing their diet with half a fresh Rio- Red grapefruit 1. How to eat a grapefruit. If you think this was self- explanatory think again. When it comes to research, attention to detail is the name of the game. Participants were given training on just how to eat said grapefruit half before each meal: peel it and eat all portions including the pith — the white part that you normally throw away. Participants were told to eat it because it contains vitamins, antioxidants and fibre. Also, they were not allowed to add sugar. Instead they used a zero- calorie sweetener. Measures. Researchers assessed a number of factors. Diet assessment – A registered dietitian collected data about the participants’ dietary intake via telephone using a method of repeat 2. The dietitian collected three recalls during the washout phase and three during the intervention phase and then averaged the reports. While dietary recalls may not provide the most accurate data, averaging a set of results rather than depending on one report alone would increase reliability. Compliance – Researchers gave participants a log book and asked them to keep a detailed record of each time they ate grapefruit during the six- week intervention. The researchers used a formula to analyze for compliance (number of grapefruit eaten before each meal/number of meals x 1. Bioactive content – To get an estimate of the amount of flavonoids in the grapefruits, the researchers took the average weight of 1. USDA Database for Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods. Anthropometry – Height, weight, waist and hip circumference and percent body fat of the participants were measured at baseline, week 6 and week 9.
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