Grapefruit is a tart citrus fruit you can find in several varieties, including red, pink and white. Although all are high in vitamins, the pink and red types contain lycopene-- a potent carotenoid antioxidant that exists in tomatoes and other red fruits. A favorite for fad-dieters, grapefruit is purported to support weight loss by increasing metabolic functioning, although no scientific evidence supports this theory. Avoid the risks of grapefruit fad diets by talking to your doctor or dietitian about healthy ways to lose weight.
Malnutrition
Countless diets exist using grapefruit as a main food for weight loss. At approximately 100 calories per fruit, grapefruit is known as a low-calorie, sodium-free, fat-free food, which makes it easy to believe that grapefruit diets are both healthy and effective. Diets that drastically restrict calories or eliminate food groups are considered fad diets, however. Eating grapefruit alone will not supply your body with adequate daily nutrition; by consuming too few calories on a regular basis, you risk becoming malnourished and experiencing fatigue, heart and lung problems, anemia, weakened immunity and problems with digestion.
Diet Failure
Fad diets such as the grapefruit diet may help you lose weight temporarily. Inevitably, however, most fad dieters fail when using restrictive methods, as it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain their diets. A food-starved dieter will eventually give in to his cravings if he does not allow himself occasional treats in moderation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says slow and steady weight loss -- approximately 1 to 2 lbs. weekly -- is the way to go. Dieters who manage to reach their goals and sustain them often do so by making permanent changes to their diets and lifestyles, not by making drastic short-term changes, as encouraged by fads like the grapefruit diet.
Binge Eating
Even those who consider grapefruit a tasty and refreshing treat are likely to become sickened by the sight of the fruit if they consume it repetitively. In addition to failing at their diet, some people become binge eaters. In fact, binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder, according to MayoClinic.com, and one that often affects people who diet in excess and in turn trigger a cycle of binging and dieting.
Drug Interactions
Some chemicals in grapefruit can interfere with enzymes that breakdown certain medications as you digest them, causing higher dosages of the drug to remain in your body and potentially build up to toxic levels. If you use certain medications, such as antidepressants, statins, antihistamines, calcium channel blockers and anti-arrhythmia drugs, talk to your doctor about possible interactions with a grapefruit diet and grapefruit products.
References
- Grapefruit Facts: Grapefruit Nutrition
- MayoClinic.com; Senior Health: How To Detect and Prevent Malnutrition; September 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Binge Eating Disorder: Risk Factors; October 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Consumer Health; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; November 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Binge Eating Disorder: Definition; October 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Healthy Weight: It's Not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle; February 2011
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