Proponents of the grapefruit and grapefruit juice diet say it works because grapefruit is a fat-burning substance. Versions of the grapefruit diet are very similar or identical to the so-called Mayo Clinic Diet that the Mayo Clinic never actually endorsed, according to the Every Diet website. The diet allows large amounts of food but it still may be monotonous to follow.
Features
The grapefruit and grapefruit juice diet has the same menu every day and comes with a long list of rules. You cannot add more grapefruit or juice or decrease the amount required, because these specific amounts are supposedly catalysts for the fat-burning process, notes FadDiet.com. You may continue the diet for up to 12 days and then take two days off before beginning for another 12 days if you want.
Menu
Each of the three meals on this diet requires either half a grapefruit or 8 oz. unsweetened grapefruit juice. Breakfast includes two eggs and two slices of bacon. For lunch, you'll have salad and dressing, and any type of meat you'd like. Dinner consists of a red or green vegetable cooked in butter or a salad with dressing, along with any type of meat. For a bedtime snack, drink either an 8-oz. glass of tomato juice or skim milk.
Rules
The grapefruit diet requires eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day, notes FadDiets.com. You must eat the minimum listed at each meal and you cannot eliminate anything from the menu. The rules say you are free to eat as much as you want to at lunch and dinner and you'll still lose weight. You are not allowed to eat between meals.
Prohibited Foods
Most foods are forbidden on the grapefruit diet, as noted by FadDiets.com. You cannot have bread or any other baked goods, and most dairy products and all white vegetables are prohibited. The diet also does not allow sweet potatoes, celery, peas or corn. The only fruit allowed is grapefruit. You can have coffee, but only 1 cup at meal times.
Research
The grapefruit diet may sound like a scam, but some evidence indicates that grapefruit and grapefruit juice can help people lose weight, as noted by a study published in the Feb. 2, 2004 issue of "Chemistry and Industry" and summarized in the Jan. 24, 2004 issue of "Medical News Today." During the 12-week study, conducted by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic, participants who ate half a grapefruit at breakfast, lunch and dinner lost an average of 3.6 lbs., and those who instead drank grapefruit juice lost an average of 3.3 lbs. The control group only lost a half pound on average. Many participants in the grapefruit groups lost over 10 lbs. while maintaining their regular eating habits and slightly improving their exercise routines. The researchers speculate that the chemical properties of grapefruit lower the levels of insulin, a hormone that assists with fat metabolism. Decreasing insulin spikes after a meal helps the body process food for energy rather than storing it in the body.
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