What is grapefruit seed extract?
Grapefruit seed extract is obtained by grinding the grapefruit seeds of a very specific variety of pomelo: Citrus Paradisi.
Composition
- Citric acid
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
- Amino Acids
- Polypeptides
- Tocopherol
- Bioflavonoids
Advantages
Antibacterial: helps prevent and alleviate various infections
- Bacterial and viral infections of the gastrointestinal tract:
- Parasitoses
- Traveller's diarrhoea
- Poisonings
- Gastric ulcers
- Respiratory infections:
- Urogenital infections:
- Eye infections:
Antifungal
Antioxidant
- To prevent accelerated cellular ageing caused by excess free radicals in the body.
Immune booster
- Helps boost the body's immune defences and overcome winter colds.
Cleansing
How to use?
Grapefruit seed extract can be taken straight, in drops or in capsules.
A few drops can be placed under the tongue (following the dosage indicated on the bottle), diluted in water before drinking, or added to salad dressing oil.
You can add a few drops to your shampoo in the palm of your hand, or to your toothbrush before using toothpaste, to benefit from its antibacterial action.
It can be applied to the skin with a cotton ball or compress as part of the healing of a small wound or acne pimples, following the instructions of the product manufacturer on the label.
It is particularly important to check in advance for any possible allergic reaction or irritation.
How to dose?
You should follow the recommendations on the labels of the products you buy.
The naturopath advises you to start using it with 3 drops in a little water and see if an allergic reaction occurs before continuing to use it according to the product's dosage.
It is also necessary to adjust its use: if the symptom disappears, stop taking it.
As a preventive measure, it is always advisable to follow a course of treatment for 21 days, no more, to be renewed if necessary after a week's break.
Contraindications
It is not recommended to take grapefruit seed extract or grapefruit juice with certain medicines, such as :
- certain cholesterol medicines (atorvastatin, simvastatin)
- immunosuppressive or anti-rejection medicines prescribed after a transplant (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, temsirolimus)
- certain heart medicines (lercanidipine, dronedarone, ivabradine, alisquire, verapamil, ticagrelor)
- certain antidepressants (sertraline) or anxiolytics (buspirone)
- certain medicines for cancer (regorafenib)
- certain medicines for erectile dysfunction (avanafil, vardenafil)
- carbamazepine (an anti-epileptic drug that may be used to treat facial neuralgia or bipolar disorder)
- halofantrine (medicine for malaria)
On the other hand, no clinically significant interactions have been shown between grapefruit and the contraceptive pill or with antibiotics.
In some rare cases, interactions between grapefruit and drugs may be due to other mechanisms at the level of intestinal absorption, resulting in a reduction in the effect of certain drugs.
- It is not recommended to take grapefruit seed extract during pregnancy.
- It is not recommended to take grapefruit seed extract with medication, as grapefruit inhibits or increases the effects of medication tenfold. The same applies to eating the fruit.
Which grapefruit seed extract to choose?
Commercial products vary in composition.
The first criterion for selection should be the flavonoid content, which ranges from 400 mg to 5,000 mg per 100 ml.
The product is relatively expensive, around 15 euros per 50 ml for a good quality product.
Avoid products containing synthetic preservatives such as benzethonium chloride and parabens, and those with added vitamin C.
Recommended products include QuantaEpp, CitroBiotic, CitroPlus.