Eating grapefruit may be able to help you lose weight, as long as you burn more calories than you consume. Talk to a health care provider before beginning a diet. Be sure your health care provider knows any medications you are taking, as some can interact with grapefruit.
History
The Grapefruit Diet was first introduced in the 1930s by Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, according to the website Grapefruit-Diet. The plan was designed so that dieters could lose a substantial amount of weight in a short amount of time. Over time, various versions of the diet have emerged. Plans commonly suggest eating half a grapefruit before each meal.
Claims
Proponents of the Grapefruit Diet claim that grapefruit promotes weight loss by reducing appetite, increasing fluid loss and promoting fat-burning. The Grapefruit-Diet website states that it is possible to lose up to 10 lbs. in 12 days while eating normal meals at normal times.
Plan
Followers of the Grapefruit Diet should follow a sensible eating plan and engage in daily physical exercise, according to the Grapefruit-Diet website. They should not skip meals. They should eat dinner at least two hours before bed time because your body does not burn as many calories at rest. They should not eat very hot or cold foods or cook food in aluminum pans. The plan calls for three to four daily servings of carbohydrates, four to six servings of fruit, two to four servings of vegetables, one to two servings of dairy and two servings of protein.
Research
Eating half of a fresh grapefruit eaten before meals may be associated with significant weight loss, according to a 2006 study published by K. Fujioka and colleagues in the "Journal of Medicinal Food." After 12 weeks, those in the study who had ate half of a fresh grapefruit group before each meal had lost 1.6 kg. Those who drank grapefruit juice had lost 1.5 kg, those who took grapefruit capsules had lost 1.1 kg and those who took placebo had lost 0.3 kg.
Warning
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription medications, according to the Mayo Clinic. These interactions can cause serious health problems. Taking your medications and consuming grapefruit at different times of day does not eliminate risk. Examples of some medications that are known to interact with grapefruit include buspirone, amiodarone, sertraline, saquinavir, carbamazepine, nifedipine, nimodipine, nisoldipine, cyclosporine, sandimmune, tacrolimus, sirolimus, simvastatin, lovastatin and atorvastatin.
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