Two separate grapefruit studies show the weight loss properties of the citrus fruit. One, led by Erin Mulvihill of the University of Western Ontario, reveals the fat-burning abilities of a flavonoid present in grapefruit. Another, led by Ken Fujioka of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, shows how grapefruit consumption can help you shed a few pounds without changing anything else about your diet.
Flavonoid Study
In Mulvihill's study, fat mice took a flavonoid extracted from grapefruit. The mice lost weight without giving up their high-fat, high-sugar diet, according to a report published in "Diabetes" in 2009. But the flavonoid doesn't exist in extract form suitable for humans. To achieve the fat-burning effects of the flavonoid, people would need to drink six to eight glasses of grapefruit juice a day, Murray Hill, another researcher connected to the study, told "The Toronto Star."
Weight Gain
You might gain rather than lose weight if you tried to duplicate the University of Western Ontario experiment at home. Eight cups of grapefruit juice contains about 768 calories. Unless the fat-burning powers of the grapefruit flavonoid more than offset 768 extra calories in your diet, you would gain weight.
Scripps Clinic Study
Fujioka's Scripps Clinic study, reported in a spring 2006 edition of "Journal of Medicinal Food," examined the effects of grapefruit on weight loss in humans. Fujioka's study essentially tested the premise of the original grapefruit diet introduced in 1930s. The diet promised effortless weight loss -- all you had to do was eat 1/2 grapefruit with every meal. Fujioka's study provides modern support for the old and seemingly outlandish claim.
Weight Loss
For 12 weeks, a group of the participants in Fujioka's study ate 1/2 grapefruit before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Another group drank 1 cup of grapefruit juice before meals, and another group took placebos. All participants maintained their normal eating habits. At the end of the study, participants who ate grapefruit had lost an average of 3.6 lbs. The participants who drank grapefruit juice lost an average of 3.3 lbs, and the people who took placebos lost an average of 0.5 lb. Before trying out any grapefruit diet, consult your doctor. Grapefruit can cause serious and even fatal side effects when combined with numerous medications.
References
- "Diabetes"; Naringenin Prevents Dyslipidemia, Apolipoprotein B Overproduction, and Hyperinsulinemia in LDL Receptor--Null Mice With Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance; Erin Mulvihill et al.; October 2009
- "The Toronto Star"; Grapefruit Glory; Joseph Hall; July 15, 2009
- Weight Loss Resources; The New Grapefruit Diet Review; Juliette Kellow
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; The Effects of Grapefruit on Weight and Insulin Resistance: Relationship to the Metabolic Syndrome; Ken Fujioka et al.; Spring 2006
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Database
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise For Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; Dec. 1, 2009
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