Like the tendencies of clothing and hairstyles, fad diets come and go, only to return to slightly new variations years later. Perhaps one of the most well -known diets that somehow continues to return to mainstream is the grapefruit diet.
You may have watched your mom or grandmother eating a grapefruit with one of these tiny spoons before each meal in an effort to lose weight. Or maybe you had a friend who would drink a glass of grapefruit juice every morning.
Although science has not proven that the grapefruit diet is effective, people continue to rely on this slightly sour citrus as a weight loss tactic.
What is the grapefruit diet?
The grapefruit diet was around some form or other than the 1930 And supports just eats half grapefruit before each meal. Other variations of the grapefruit diet will have to drink grapefruit juice instead of (or in addition) to eat the fruits themselves. And then more restrictive variants require to do this and Stick to 800 calories a day while cutting most carbohydrates.
Why grapefruit? Supporters believe that its enzymes can help you burn fat and magically help you lose weight. Some people (on the always reliable internet) still claim that it can help you lose 10 pounds in less than two weeks.
What do you eat on the grapefruit diet?
You can eat almost anything on the grapefruit diet, as long as you eat half of a grapefruit in advance. As for diets, whether it works or not, this is very simple to follow!
However, if you stick to the Version of low carbohydrate of this diet, you must eat your grapefruit and Cut carbohydrates such as:
- Sugar
- Rice
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Bread
But again, there are no super specific instructions when it comes to this part of the diet.
Can the grapefruit diet help you lose weight?
So far, researchers have found no specific proof that the grapefruit diet can help you throw pounds. Most results were correlative.
In a study by Louisiana State University researchersObese adults received either half of fresh grapefruit, eight ounces of grapefruit juice, grapefruit capsules or placebo. The groups that consumed half a grapefruit or drank eight ounces of grapefruit juice before each meal lost about 3.5 pounds in 12 weeks. The capsule team lost only 2.4 pounds and the placebo team saw almost no change.
Although the grapefruit teams saw some promising results, the researchers finally concluded that the “mechanism of this weight loss is unknown”.
Another study conducted by British researchers Compared to grapefruit consumption, grapefruit juice or water before meals for 12 weeks. All three choices before lunch helped the study participants lose weight without significant differences between the three, which means that citrus fruits were at the same level as water.
By confirming these results, A study by the magazine Metabolism He concluded that eating half a grapefruit before each meal for three weeks did not lead to significant weight loss compared to a placebo.
The only other studies that have found one direct The connection between grapefruit juice or extract and weight loss was mice. Unfortunately (in this very specific case), people are not rodents.
Why do people believe that grapefruit helps to lose weight?
“Grapefruit is a big, stuffing thing, if you eat it, then you can eat less than your meal because your stomach is full of grapefruit,” says Denis Faye, MS “Plus, Grapefruit has a strange taste and the kind of tasty tasty so you can eat so much.
In fact, you could replace the grapefruit with other foods and see similar results. ‘It’s like having a salad or vegetable soup Before your meal, “says the nutrition consultant Keri gansRdn, author of small change diet. They are all low -energy foods that can fill you before the main course.
“But I don’t buy that there are special substances in the grapefruit [to help you burn fat]”Faye says.
Disadvantages of grapefruit diet
“I believe in the variety and I don’t eat the same things over and over again,” says Faye. ‘Load with a healthy, lower thermal food so you eat less is A weight loss strategy, but you have to make smart choices afterwards. If you eat a grapefruit and then go get fast food, you won’t lose weight. ”
People who take statins or blood pressure medicines such as calcium channel inhibitors should also avoid grapefruit diet as these drugs can have Negative interactions with grapefruit.
Grapefruit health benefits
Weight loss at the edge, there are really some benefits for grapefruit health. Half -middle grapefruit It is mainly water and contains 37 calories and 1.4 grams of fiber. It also provides 45 mg of vitamin C (half of recommended daily value for men and 60 percent for women), which helps support a Healthy immune system.
The route
While the grapefruit certainly has a part as part of a balanced diet, don’t think that by simply eating grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice you will burn your belly fat and relax. Effectively lose weight and keep it awayYou have to stick to the tested and true exercise formula regularly and eat a well-rounded diet-the grapefruit included or not.
