A bacterial urinary tract infection typically causes cystitis, an inflammation of your bladder. Grapefruit seed extract may prove helpful in fighting off bacterial infections such as cystitis, as it is an antimicrobial with the ability to fight off infections from bacteria, yeast, viruses and fungus. But grapefruit seed extract may contain harmful chemicals and could interact adversely with medications, so talk to you doctor before using it to treat cystitis.
Chemicals
The antimicrobial properties in grapefruit seed extract do not come from properties in grapefruit. If grapefruit seed extract successfully treats cystitis or any type of infection, the credit belongs to disinfectants and synthetic preservatives added to the product. Pure grapefruit seed extract is made from grapefruit seeds and pulp.The seeds and pulp of grapefruit possess no antimicrobial powers, according to Donal O'Mathuna, an herbal researcher and bioethicist who reviewed grapefruit seed extract studies published between 1999 and 2009 for "The Irish Times."
Study
T. von Woedtke and colleagues at the German Institute of Pharmacy conducted the first major study to determine what properties in grapefruit seed extract made it capable of fighting bacterial infections such as cystitis. They tested six commercial grapefruit seed extract products. One contained pure grapefruit seed extract, while the other five contained added chemicals, including a poison called benzethonium chloride. The five chemical-added grapefruit seed products possessed antimicrobial properties, and the one without chemicals did not, according to the study published in "Die Pharmazie" in June 1999. The German researchers also made and tested homemade grapefruit seed extract, which also failed to fight infections.
Treatment
Traditional treatment for the bacterial infection cystitis includes antibiotics. Bladder infections left untreated may spread to your kidneys, and kidney infections sometimes prove fatal. If you buy a grapefruit seed extract product that contains chemicals, it may fight off your cystitis. If you buy one that doesn't contain chemicals, your cystitis may get worse and start to spread to your kidneys. A product label will not necessarily reveal the presence of chemicals in grapefruit seed extract. Product labels and contents of antibiotics are subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Drug Interactions and Side Effects
The grapefruit in grapefruit seed extract can cause adverse reactions with many medications, such as birth control pills, antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and statins. Properties in grapefruit seed extract slow your body's metabolism of drugs. You may end up with an overdose of the medication in your bloodstream, making you more susceptible to serious side effects. The benzethonium chloride found in many grapefruit seed extract products also inhibits drug metabolism. Additional side effects of benzethonium chloride include convulsions, collapsing and comas.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Cystitis; March 2010
- Bioethics Ireland; "The Irish Times": Grapefruit Seed Extract - Peel Back the Hype; Donal O'Mathuna; March 2009
- "Die Pharmazie"; Aspects of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Grapefruit Seed Extract and its Relation to Preservative Substances Contained; T. von Woedtke, et al.; June 1999
- Denver Naturopathic Clinic; Why We Don't Sell Grapefruit Seed Extract; July 2005
- The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Grapefruit and Medication: A Cautionary Note
- "The New York Times"; Experts Reveal the Secret Powers of Grapefruit Juice; Nicholas Bakalar; March 2006
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