Grapefruit Diets May Work

SAN DIEGO--The grapefruit diet, a popular fad in the 1980s, may actually work, according to a recent unpublished study conducted by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at the Scripps Clinic ( www.scripshealth.org). The study was sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus, as well as Scripps Clinic.

For 12 weeks, 100 men and women either ate half a grapefruit with each meal or drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day, while slightly increasing their exercise routine. Weight and metabolic factors, such as insulin secretion, were monitored throughout the course of the study. Subjects who consumed half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds, compared to subjects who drank grapefruit juice 3 times a day, who lost an average of 3.3 pounds. Many subjects lost more than 10 pounds; however, it was not noted which grapefruit option these subjects followed.

Researchers indicated there was a physiological link between grapefruit and insulin, as the citrus fruit may reduce insulin levels and encourage weight loss. (Insulin assists in regulating fat metabolism, and the smaller the insulin spike after a meal, the more efficiently the body processes food into energy, rather than storing it as fat)For years people have talked about the grapefruit diet, and some even swear by it, but now, we have data that grapefruit helps weight loss, said Ken Fujioka, M.D., the studys lead researcher. Whether its the properties of grapefruit or its ability to satiate appetites, grapefruit appears to help with weight loss and decrease insulin levels, leading to better health.