Drinking Grapefruit Juice May Curb Weight Gain
Drinking Grapefruit Juice May Curb Weight Gain the effects of different foods on weight loss has long been studied by the scientific community, and while there tend to be different results for each ingredient, a recent study has pinpointed grapefruit juice as one breakfast staple that shouldn’t be missed. Researchers from the University of California through the Berkeley division has found that in a high-fat diet fed to lab mice, blood glucose levels were significantly lowered by the ingestion of this fruit. What’s more, levels of insulin tolerance were also affected in a positive way, proving that this drink could go far for those seeking better weight and sugar control in their diets.
Revisiting The Study
The Berkeley team was headed by Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology students, Joseph Napoli and Andreas Stahl, and findings were published in PLOS ONE, the scientific journal. In the past, grapefruit has been portrayed in many Hollywood fad diets as a miracle meal, claiming that a special fat burning enzyme or metabolism booster was located inside of the fruit, promoting the fast and convenient loss of large quantities of weight. While the study performed most recently did have positive results for weight control in mice, the study leaders have both questioned whether these past experiments were as honest as they could have been.
Reading The Results
The grapefruit juice used in the study was free of pulp, diluted with different concentrations of water, and clarified. The mice were separated into five groups, each of which were fed different intensity levels of fats in their diets over a period of one hundred days. Saccharin was used to sweeten the grapefruit juice to cover up bitter flavors and water was given to the control group of mice, which had added glucose or sweeteners added to it for a similar comparison of calories per drink in regards to the other groups. Medical News Today reports: “At the end of the study, the researchers found that mice fed a high-fat diet that drank grapefruit juice gained 18% less weight than mice on a high-fat diet that drank water.”
Along with these changes in weight gain, there was also a reduction in blood glucose levels of 13 to 17 percent in the mice were drank grapefruit juice, as well as a reduction in insulin levels. The weight related change was only seen in mice fed a high fat diet, while both high and low fat diet subjects portrayed a similar reduction in insulin levels.
The Cause Of These Changes
The compound that was found and tested in the grapefruit juice is called naringin, which has been linked to weight loss in the past. One group of the high fat diet mice was given naringin, while another group were given a drug that is commonly used for type two diabetes patients in the lowering of sugar levels, called metformin. The results proved that the naringin in the grapefruit juice actually lowered levels of blood sugar as much as the metformin did. This is an incredible discovery, proving that this natural form of glucose level control could replace some medications used in treating diabetes patients. Naringin didn’t have any control over the weight loss aspect of the mice, however, leading researchers to believe that there is something else in the grapefruit that is promoting these types of changes in the body.
Benefits of Grapefruit In A Human Diet
Aside from the weight loss factors that are being studied in relation to a grapefruit rich diet, there are other benefits of ingesting this fruit, including a healthy heart. In the past, the most commonly enjoyed breakfast with heart health advantages was oatmeal, but one grapefruit every day has showed the ability to lower bad cholesterol levels, or LDL cholesterol levels by nearly 16 percent, and triglycerides by 27 percent. They also fight other problems that the human body faces, such as free radicals; Whfoods.com says: “The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient. Lycopene appears to have anti-tumor activity. Among the common dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the highest capacity to help fight oxygen free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells.”
Although grapefruit isn’t being used as a medical product in the prevention of cancerous tissues currently, the information is available for those who are interested in seeking it out that it can increase the chances of a healthy lifestyle in many ways.
Common Colds And Vitamin C
As expected, grapefruit is also a great source of vitamin C, making it an immune enriching food that has been found to assist in the reduction of cold and flu symptoms, and the prevention of triggers in the body that create inflammation in certain conditions like asthma, arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Organic Facts expresses: “Grapefruit is a valuable remedy for influenza, since it helps to minimize acidity in the system. The bitter properties arising from an essence called ‘naringin’ in grapefruits tones up the system and the digestive process.”
Vitamin C has also shown recent advances in the promotion of healthy skin as well, and many face creams and body scrubs are including vitamin C, and citrus oils in their products in an effort to take advantage of this natural source of skin rejuvenation. Unlike other natural oils used on the skin, vitamin C found in fruit like grapefruit provides the skin with a healthy glow, rather than claiming to tighten or reduce wrinkles.
Grapefruit juice shows a number of different beneficial properties to those looking to lose weight and be healthier in general. From the stimulation of cholecystokinin release, which regulates digestion and causes appetite suppression to the amazing number of vitamins and nutrients that it offers, this bitter and sweet breakfast side has vast potential to become a fan favorite. Aside from the most recent studies, grapefruits have shown past promise in a wide selection of medicinal and health related factors, and offer a great assortment of recipes throughout a many food genres and cultures. The zest, juice, and flesh all have qualities worth reporting, with the most results coming from a combination of juice and pulp.
Mitchell Cohen, M.D. is Board Certified doctor specializing in Orthopedic Medicine and Spinal Surgery. Graduated from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA with a degree in Human Physiology (1983) and subsequently achieved his medical degree in 1987 from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr Cohen did his Surgical Residency at the University of New Mexico in 1992 as well as a Spine Fellowship in 1993. Dr. Cohen has published the following medical journals: "Biomechanical Efficiency of Spinal Systems in Thorocolumbar Fractures" (1993), "Kaneda Anterior Spinal Instrumentation" and "Spinal Fusion Stabilization amongst many others. View Dr Cohen's Twitter Page.
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