Thought you may like this.
Really can not remeber where it came from but had it saved as good info
Name: Grapefruit
Scientific Name: Citrus paradisi
Grapefruit is believed to be native to Jamaica. Grapefruit trees were planted in Florida in the early 19th century. The United States is the largest producer of grapefruit in the world.
PROPERTIES
High in vitamin C and potassium.
A good source of folate, iron, calcium, and other minerals.
Pink and red varieties are high in beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.
High in fiber, low in calories.
PECTIN
Grapefruit contains pectin (found in the pulp/rind), a form of soluble fibre that can bind to cholesterol.
In a 16-week double-blind, crossover (placebo or pectin) study using 27 human volunteers screened to be at medium to high risk for coronary heart disease due to hypercholesterolemia, grapefruit pectin supplementation decreased plasma cholesterol by 7.6% and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 10.8%. The study did not interfere with the subjects' current diet or lifestyle. (1)
In animal studies, grapefruit pectin inhibited the formation of atherosclerosis. Animals fed a high fat diet plus grapefruit pectin had 24% narrowing of their arteries, while animals fed only the high fat diet had 45% narrowing. (2)
LYCOPENE
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, it is the pigment found in fruits and vegetables, providing the colour of tomatoes (which are the best source of lycopene), water melon and pink/red grapefruit.
There is some evidence that a diet high in lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, according to the first epidemiological study on this, conducted at Harvard University,
Men who ate a diet rich in tomato sauce, ketchup or other tomato-based products containing the powerful antioxidant known as lycopene were up to one third less likely to develop the disease. (3)
Although there are no double-blind studies on lycopene at present, the results of observational studies are promising and further research is needed.
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE DRUG INTERACTIONS
This food-drug interaction was actually discovered by accident. A study that was intending to test the interaction of alcohol and a blood pressure medication, used a mixture of alcohol with grapefruit juice to disguise the taste of alcohol for the study. Ironically, alcohol had no effect on the tested medication, but the grapefruit juice seemed to enhance the absorption of the drug. (4)
The researchers then confirmed the finding by comparing drug levels when taken with either grapefruit juice or water and found five-fold higher blood levels of the drug when it was taken with juice. Orange juice did not show this effect.
Grapefruit juice inhibits a special enzyme (CYP3A4) in the intestines that is responsible for the natural breakdown and absorption of many medications. When the action of this enzyme is blocked, the blood levels of these medications increase, which can lead potentially toxic side effects from the medications.
Research has suggested that flavonoids and/or furanocoumarin present in Grapefruit are the substances that act to block the enzyme in the intestines that normally metabolizes many drugs.
Some medications that interact with grapefruit juice: (5)
Statins (Cholesterol Lowering Drugs)
Antihistamines: Terfenadine
Calcium Channel Blockers (Blood Pressure Drugs):
Anti-convulsant: Tegretol (Carbamazepine)
Anxiolytics: Valium (Diazepam)
Anti-depressant: Sertraline Clomipramine
Cortico-steroids: Methylprednisolone
Oestrogens: Ethinyl estradiol
Anabolic Steroids: Dianabol
Impotence Drug: Viagra
Although some drugs are given with others to enhance their effects, grapefruit juice should not be used for this purpose because its impact can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
The above list is by no means exhaustive. Please consult with your doctor or pharmacist regarding possible interactions between grapefruit juice and medications you may currently be taking if you consume grapefruit/ juice regularly..
THE GRAPEFRUIT DIET
Most serious dieters at one time or another have been told to eat grapefruit. Proponents of the Grapefruit Diet believe that grapefruit contains a special fat-burning enzyme.
The Grapefruit Diet, originally called the Hollywood Diet, started in the 1930s and has come back in various forms many times since then. Dieters on this diet are permitted a few vegetables, tiny amounts of protein and lots of grapefruit.
The only study conducted into Grapefruit Diets was performed by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and interestingly on behalf of and sponsored by the Florida Citrus Department!
The 13 week diet study consisted of 45 adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m (termed obese) seeking weight loss. All patients were placed on a low-calorie, low-fat diet which was designed to produce an average weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. All subjects were asked to consume two servings of Florida grapefruit or grapefruit juice each day. (6)
This study, wasn't particularly valuable in proving whether grapefruit works as a weight-loss aid. There was no control group of people who didn't eat any grapefruit and the weight loss experienced by the participants could perfectly be explained by putting any obese person on a low calorie diet, regardless of whether grapefruit was included or not.
The reason that Grapefruit Diets work, as with many other fad diets is because dieters simply limit their caloric intake to less than 900 calories a day. As soon as you come off the diet, you will gain weight again because firstly these diets do nothing to change long term eating habits and secondly the body interprets a crash diet so low in calories as starvation, hence the body compensates by slowing down metabolism to conserve all available energy. This lowered level of metabolism makes future weight loss much more difficult.
In summary grapefruit has no active properties that burn up fat. It is a healthy, high in fibre and low in calorie food that makes a good addition to any healthy diet as should other fruits and vegetables.
References:
(1) The effects of grapefruit pectin on patients at risk for coronary heart disease without altering diet or lifestyle.
Cerda JJ, Robbins FL, Burgin CW, Baumgartner TG, Rice RW.
Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610. Clin Cardiol. 1988 Sep;11(9):589-94
(2) Inhibition of atherosclerosis by dietary pectin in microswine with sustained hypercholesterolemia.
Cerda JJ, Normann SJ, Sullivan MP, Burgin CW, Robbins FL, Vathada S, Leelachaikul P.
Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville.Circulation. 1994 Mar;89(3):1247-53.
(3) A prospective study of tomato products, lycopene, and prostate cancer risk.
Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Liu Y, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC.
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002 Mar 6;94(5):391-8.
(4) Grapefruit juice-drug interactions.
Bailey DG, Malcolm J, Arnold O, Spence JD.
Department of Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1998 Aug;46(2):101-10. .
(5) http ://secure.pharmacytimes.com/lessons/200303-02.asp
(6) Johns Hopkins University Weight Management Centre and Florida Dept. of Citrus, P.O. Box 148, Lakeland, FL 33802.
Wrongun!
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