15 Benefits of Grapefruit Seed Extract

[FelixRex]

https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/food-and-nutrition-articles/15-benefits-of-grapefruit-seed-extract/

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE), or citrus seed extract, is made of the pulp, seeds, and white membranes of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), which comes from the grapefruit tree. It's used for everything from fighting infections to treating skin conditions.

How do you make grapefruit seed extract? Grapefruit seeds and pulps are mixed into a highly acidic liquid. After further processing, the mixture will turn into a thick, yellow liquid with a strong, bitter taste. Vegetable glycerin is then added to lower acidity and bitterness.

The main bioactive compounds in GSE include the polyphenols naringenin and limonoids.

As a result, grapefruit extract liquid supplements may have many incredible health benefits. GSE is used for its antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. Grapefruit seed extract could also potentially boost the immune system, fight skin conditions, and more.

In this article, we will continue to explore grapefruit seed extract benefits. Read on to learn how to use GSE, as well as important information about grapefruit seed extract side effects.

Let's get started...
Benefits of Grapefruit Seed Extract

In the early 1970s, Dr. Jacob Harich first documented the medical benefits of grapefruit seed extract, particularly how it could protect poultry and fish from various bacteria, fungi, and parasites. GSE is now typically combined with vegetable glycerin and used in antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral products.

In a 1990 study published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine, researchers discovered that grapefruit seed extract performed in a similar fashion (or even better) than 18 fungicides and 30 antibiotics, but without the side effects of antibiotics.

Let's take a further look at more grapefruit seed extract benefits:
1. Antifungal and Antiviral Properties

Grapefruit seed extract has the potential to kill viruses and fungi. Various studies have revealed that grapefruit extract can kill over 800 types of bacteria and viruses, including salmonella, E. coli, herpes, parasites, and fungi.

One Polish study from 2001 found that grapefruit extract had a particularly potent effect against the fungal infection known as candida. Grapefruit seed extract's antifungal properties work against Candida albicans strains by killing yeast cells that have overgrown in the body.

Grapefruit seed extract is also used for other fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, yeast infections, athlete's foot, and toenail fungus.
2. Anti-Cancer Properties

Grapefruit seed extract has anti-cancer properties, because it contains antioxidants, sterols, tocopherols, citric acid, limonoids, and other minerals.

In a 2006 study, researchers from the University of Colorado discovered that colon cancer cells treated with GSE had a higher chance of dying, compared to the cells not treated with grapefruit seed extract.
3. Wound-Healing Properties

Consuming grapefruit seed extract can help heal wounds and scar tissue at a quicker rate.

According to a study published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, grapefruit extract accelerated wound healing and minimized scarring by encouraging the body to produce more of the compound that regenerates blood vessels that have been damaged, while also increasing the number of free radicals that help clear bacteria.
4. Antioxidant Effect on Cardiometabolic Disorders

Grapefruit seed extract also has antioxidant properties responsible for protecting the heart muscle from damage due to oxidative stress.

A study published in the International Journal of Cancer Research in 2009 found that animals treated with grapefruit seed extract had significantly less heart muscle damage than those not receiving GSE.

Some of the animals were treated with GSE before receiving an anti-cancer drug called doxorubicin, known for its cardiotoxic side effects. Other animals in the study had taken GSE after being given doxorubicin.

The flavonoid naringenin in grapefruit seed extract is also known for its protective antioxidant effects against cardiometabolic disorders. It specifically has a protective effect against myocardial cells, and has also been shown to help reduce cholesterol in rats.

Other research shows that naringenin has a positive effect against the progression of abnormal enlargement of the heart muscle (cardiac hypertrophy) induced by pressure overload.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2017 found that naringenin produces cardioprotective effects in the hearts of one-year-old rats through the activation of mitochondrial large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels.

[Rev.Cambeul]

Cut and mix grapefruit and seeds with oranges along with a moderate amount of peel, a banana and coconut water or plain water with a dash of lemon cordial. Blend in a Nutri Ninja or Nutri Bullet for a single meal smoothie.

https://youtu.be/WPfafPHiRuQ

I have the basic Nutri Ninja model costing me about $40 bucks a few years ago. I use it more than probably any other utensil in my kitchen.