Grapefruit and diets seem to go together as naturally as "couch" and "potato," with the citrus fruit having a starring role in several fad weight-loss programs. Companies marketing grapefruit supplements promise they'll help you lose weight, and it's true that certain nutritional compounds in grapefruit have been studied in the lab. Although grapefruit diet pills may not be proven to shrink your waistline, adding grapefruit to your menu could still be a healthy move.
Identification
Grapefruit wasn't cultivated domestically until the 20th century, but it's made great gains in the market since and is now sold as a whole fruit and in juices, jellies and marmalades, vinegars and wines. Grapefruit peel is sometimes candied and the peel oil is commonly used in soft-drink flavoring. Grapefruit seed oil is dark and bitter, but when bleached and refined, becomes a pale yellow oil similar in taste to olive oil. White grapefruit contains water, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, inositol, bioflavonoids and pectin, with pink grapefruit also containing beta-carotene. Both types of grapefruit are fat-free and low in calories and sodium.
Diet History
The grapefruit diet was first popularized in the 1930s in the U.S., where it was also known as the Hollywood diet. In the 1970s, it was falsely called the "Mayo Clinic Diet," but sales of the fruit began to soar as people sought to use it for weight loss. It was repackaged in the 1980s and called the "10-day, 10-pounds-off diet," and a diet book in 2004, called the "Grapefruit Solution" by Daryl L. Thompson and M. Joseph Ahrens, led to even more interest in the fruit. From the 1990s to the present, several companies have manufactured various grapefruit diet pill supplements, either with pure pectin or grapefruit seed extracts, or packaged with other ingredients such as green tea, apple cider vinegar, chromium picolinate, or L-carnitine.
Claims
Makers of grapefruit diet pills point out that their supplements provide the nutritional boost of an entire grapefruit without all the mess. Some of the weight-loss claims for these products include the ability to curb your appetite, support good cholesterol, cut down on carbohydrates that spike blood sugar levels, and improve your health and make you feel better overall. One even states you will become "empowered" as your weight drops and your self-esteem grows.
Expert Insight
Scientists led by Murray Huff of the Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario investigated the effects on mice of a flavonoid called naringenin derived from grapefruit. Their results, published in the journal "Diabetes" in July 2009, found that mice with metabolic treated with naringenin prevented the development of insulin resistance and completely normalized glucose metabolism by reprogramming the liver to burn up excess fat instead of storing it. The team recommended further research to see if the flavonoid can be used to treat obesity in humans.
Recommendations
In an article published in "Health Magazine" in April 2008, Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutrition manager of Duke University's Diet and Fitness Center, cautioned that grapefruit doesn't have any magic properties for weight loss. She notes the best way to lose weight is still to burn more calories than you consume. Politi also says that grapefruit pills can't mimic the same activity as the plain fruit, and you'd probably be better off eating one before each meal to help you fill up and possibly eat less.
Warning
According to Drugs.com, grapefruit juice has been associated with hypotension in one patient and also interacts with a large number of over-the-counter and prescription medications by changing the way they work in your intestines. If you are taking medications for an illness, you should consult with your health care practitioner before consuming large amounts of grapefruit, grapefruit juice, or grapefruit pill supplements.
References
- Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products: Grapefruit
- Global Healing Center: he Benefits of Grapefruit Seed Extract
- "Functional Ingredients Magazine": Does grapefruit harbour a weight loss secret?; Anthony Almada; October 1, 2004.
- Robarts Research: Study Finds Citrus-Derived Flavonoid Prevents Obesity
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