Grapefruit for Weight Loss
Although the Grapefruit Diet is considered by most dietitians to be a “fad diet”, you can’t go wrong by adding this fruit before meals.
A recent study demonstrated the powerful weight loss benefits of eating a grapefruit half or drinking grapefruit juice three times a day, before meals. Even grapefruit capsules seemed to be effecive.
A placebo-controlled trial performed at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California evaluated the effects of grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and grapefruit capsules on body weight and metabolic syndrome. 91 obese individuals were assigned to one of 4 groups on a random basis. For 12 weeks, a grapefruit half, 7 ounces of grapefruit juice, a grapefruit capsule, or placebo was consumed three times per day before meals.
After 12 weeks the grapefruit group had lost 1.6 kg (about 3.5 lbs.). The grapefruit juice worked almost as well, translating into 1.5 kg of weight loss. The grapefruit capsule group lost 1.1 kg, and the placebo group managed to lose 0.3 kg. The weight loss in all three grapefruit groups was significantly more than that with the placebo.
The grapefruit diet was effective. Keep in mind that these subjects did not change their diet or go on an exercise program. So we can assume that all of the weight loss was due to the grapefruit.
Weight loss was not the only benefit. There was also a significant reduction in the insulin level in the grapefruit group compared to placebo. This led to a decrease in insulin resistance.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? High insulin levels can harm your health as well as make it more difficult to lose weight. Read more in our Basics section to learn about this important Master Hormone and its effects on your body.
If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, you should be adding grapefruit to your diet on a regular basis!
DietSecretsMD highly recommends consuming half a grapefruit or drinking 7 ounces of grapefruit juice before most meals. This healthy fruit provides vitamin C and bioflavonoids to promote cardiovascular health and help your immune system fight off infection. Pink grapefruit has the added benefit of lycopene, the red pigmented antioxidant shown to prevent prostate cancer.
**Warning: Grapefruit can interfere with a number of medications, decreasing their metabolism and increasing blood levels of these drugs. For some medications, this can be dangerous. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you take prescription medications to see if they interact with grapefruit.
