Grapefruit for Bronchitis

Bronchitis typically develops from the strains of viruses that cause colds and influenza. Bronchitis involves a lingering cough that may develop after you get a cold. It is caused by an inflammation in the lining of your body’s bronchial tubes, through which air is supposed to travel to and from your lungs. Grapefruit contains vitamin C, which has long been thought to fight off colds, but there is no solid proof of this claim.

Vitamin C

One grapefruit fulfills a woman's daily vitamin C requirement of 75 mg per day, and 1 1/4 grapefruit meets a man's needs of 90 mg. The vitamin C in grapefruit may help fight infections, but no proof exists that vitamin C prevents or fights colds, according to Harvard Medical School. Since colds are caused by the same virus as bronchitis – and since colds can lead to bronchitis – there is no proof that the vitamin C present in grapefruit can help fight off bronchitis. Additionally, no published studies link grapefruit consumption to fighting off bronchitis. The antioxidants in grapefruit do, however, help neutralize free radicals that can make you prone to illness.

Treatment

If your bronchitis is a viral infection, antibiotics will not help treat it. This means that you may just have to wait it out, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest to allow your body to heal. Grapefruit seed extract rather than whole grapefruit may prove to be an alternative treatment, as many grapefruit seed extract products are able to fight off viruses as well as bacterial, yeast and fungal infections. But because of the risk of side effects, talk to your doctor before using grapefruit seed extract to treat bronchitis.

Chemicals

If grapefruit seed extract does fight off your bronchitis, it will be because of added chemicals, not because of the grapefruit it contains. Donal O’Mathuna, an herbal researcher and bio-ethicist, says that pure grapefruit seed extract has no antimicrobial capabilities to fight off the virus that causes bronchitis. O’Mathuna says that the chemicals added to many grapefruit seed extract products – synthetic preservatives and disinfectants – are what give grapefruit seed extract products the ability to fight off viruses, bacteria, fungus and yeast. O’Mathuna analyzed a decade's worth of grapefruit seed extract studies originating from the United States, Germany, Sweden, Austria and Japan and reported his findings in a March 2009 issue of "The Irish Times."

Precautions

Before consuming grapefruit for its vitamin C content or grapefruit seed extract to try to fight off your bronchitis, consult a medical professional if you are taking any prescription, over-the-counter or herbal medicines. Grapefruit slows your body's metabolism of some drugs, including birth control pills, antihistamines, antidepressants, statins and calcium channel blockers. If these drugs aren’t properly metabolized, they will become elevated in your bloodstream, which can increase your risk of side effects. If you decide to try grapefruit seed extract to treat bronchitis, some products contain a poison called benzethonium chloride that may cause collapse, convulsions and comas.