Grapefruit is evil (and won't help you "burn fat")
ironmonkeystyle
Posts: 834 Member
http://tinyurl.com/d7ofhop
from the article:
"Experts once thought grapefruit contained a mysterious enzyme that dissolved fat, but that theory was debunked in 2011 by a study from—of all people—the Florida Citrus Department. “There is no evidence that grapefruit has fat-burning enzymes, nor is it a magic bullet for weight loss,” Connie Diekman, the past president of the American Dietetic Association, has said.
Meanwhile, diet gurus loved grapefruit because they believed it required more energy to digest than it actually contained. In other words, eating grapefruit burned calories! It was exercise!
Unfortunately, the “negative calorie” label is problematic on its own—and even if it weren’t, it’s unclear that grapefruit would fit the bill. While grapefruit does boast a low glycemic index, its effect on weight loss is fairly weak, according to one 2004 study from the Scripps Clinic.
More importantly, many unpalatable or impracticable things can help people lose weight, including eating woodchips or wrestling bears. That doesn’t mean we eat woodchips or wrestle bears, although I’d honestly consider doing both before fake-smiling my way through another grapefruit half over Sunday brunch."
from the article:
"Experts once thought grapefruit contained a mysterious enzyme that dissolved fat, but that theory was debunked in 2011 by a study from—of all people—the Florida Citrus Department. “There is no evidence that grapefruit has fat-burning enzymes, nor is it a magic bullet for weight loss,” Connie Diekman, the past president of the American Dietetic Association, has said.
Meanwhile, diet gurus loved grapefruit because they believed it required more energy to digest than it actually contained. In other words, eating grapefruit burned calories! It was exercise!
Unfortunately, the “negative calorie” label is problematic on its own—and even if it weren’t, it’s unclear that grapefruit would fit the bill. While grapefruit does boast a low glycemic index, its effect on weight loss is fairly weak, according to one 2004 study from the Scripps Clinic.
More importantly, many unpalatable or impracticable things can help people lose weight, including eating woodchips or wrestling bears. That doesn’t mean we eat woodchips or wrestle bears, although I’d honestly consider doing both before fake-smiling my way through another grapefruit half over Sunday brunch."
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Replies
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Bueller?0
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More importantly, many unpalatable or impracticable things can help people lose weight, including ...wrestle bears
I'm totally starting that tomorrow0 -
it totally works. wrestling bears (plus diet and exercise) yield positive health results 60% of the time.0
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...but I like grapefruit. I wouldn't call it evil, but if you don't like it then don't eat. I like it so I will continue to eat it.0
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The other 40% of the time you get eaten by a bearit totally works. wrestling bears (plus diet and exercise) yield positive health results 60% of the time.0 -
But why is it evil?0
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I actually love grapefruit. I eat it bc it's delicious and filling. But I don't think it has magical fat burning properties. :-)0
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But why is it evil?
That's the article's allegation...0 -
Way to rationalize it if you just don't like grapefruit.
I like it, with truvia and cinnamon. I like that its a relatively low sugar fruit, and that working my way thru, scooping it out with a grapefruit spoon makes me think like I'm really eating something, then there's the vitamin c, antioxidents, etc. I like having a half with my breakfast of eggwhites scrambled with peppers and onions for a little burst of energy.
Um yeah, not evil.0 -
Grapefruit kicks *kitten*.0
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No food has magical fat burning qualities period. Maintaining a caloric deficit over a period of time has scientific fat burning qualities though.0
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Way to rationalize it if you just don't like grapefruit.
I like it, with truvia and cinnamon. I like that its a relatively low sugar fruit, and that working my way thru, scooping it out with a grapefruit spoon makes me think like I'm really eating something, then there's the vitamin c, antioxidents, etc. I like having a half with my breakfast of eggwhites scrambled with peppers and onions for a little burst of energy.
Um yeah, not evil.
Agreed! And, who doesn't love grapefruit!? it's delicious. !!0 -
I miss grapefruit! :sad: Why does it have to interact with so many medications? :brokenheart:0
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No food has magical fat burning qualities period. Maintaining a caloric deficit over a period of time has scientific fat burning qualities though.
What about the magical smurf berry?0 -
But other benefits related to weight management and health are being researched, for example
"Effects of grapefruit, grapefruit juice and water preloads on energy balance, weight loss, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk in free-living obese adults.
Silver HJ, Dietrich MS, Niswender KD. (2011)
BACKGROUND:
Reducing dietary energy density has proven to be an effective strategy to reduce energy intakes and promote weight control. This effect appears most robust when a low energy dense preload is consumed before meals. Yet, much discussion continues regarding the optimal form of a preload. The purpose of the present study was to compare effects of a solid (grapefruit), liquid (grapefruit juice) and water preload consumed prior to breakfast, lunch and dinner in the context of caloric restriction.
METHODS:
Eighty-five obese adults (BMI 30-39.9) were randomly assigned to (127 g) grapefruit (GF), grapefruit juice (GFJ) or water preload for 12 weeks after completing a 2-week caloric restriction phase. Preloads were matched for weight, calories, water content, and energy density. Weekly measures included blood pressure, weight, anthropometry and 24-hour dietary intakes. Resting energy expenditure, body composition, physical performance and cardiometabolic risk biomarkers were assessed.
RESULTS:
The total amount (grams) of food consumed did not change over time. Yet, after preloads were combined with caloric restriction, average dietary energy density and total energy intakes decreased by 20-29% from baseline values. Subjects experienced 7.1% weight loss overall, with significant decreases in percentage body, trunk, android and gynoid fat, as well as waist circumferences (-4.5 cm). However, differences were not statistically significant among groups. Nevertheless, the amount and direction of change in serum HDL-cholesterol levels in GF (+6.2%) and GFJ (+8.2%) preload groups was significantly greater than water preload group (-3.7%).
CONCLUSIONS:
These data indicate that incorporating consumption of a low energy dense dietary preload in a caloric restricted diet is a highly effective weight loss strategy. But, the form of the preload did not have differential effects on energy balance, weight loss or body composition. It is notable that subjects in GF and GFJ preload groups experienced significantly greater benefits in lipid profiles."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3039556/0 -
Grapefruit IS evil... I've seen the way they look at me.0
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I miss grapefruit! :sad: Why does it have to interact with so many medications? :brokenheart:
this is why the article alleges grapefruit to be evil-- because of it's interaction w/ medications.0 -
No food has magical fat burning qualities period. Maintaining a caloric deficit over a period of time has scientific fat burning qualities though.
What about the magical smurf berry?
Oops...I forgot about that one. I don't know where to find any though...I asked at Costco the other day and they were out.
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I miss grapefruit! :sad: Why does it have to interact with so many medications? :brokenheart:
Yes...that is true and sad. Thankfully I'm not on any of those yet and hopefully won't have to be. My mother in law just brought me a whole case of grape fruit from the trees in her yard...they're oh so magically delicious.0 -
Grapefruit, much like simple sugars sneak into your bed at night and slowly eat away your souls. Evil.0
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A recipe for smurf-berry cookies:
http://bluebuddies.com/Smurfs_Smurfberry_Cookies_Recipe.htm
Goes great with grapefruit juice for sure.
If you drink the grapefruit juice w/in 30 minutes of eating the cookies, this cancels out the calories from the cookies.
That's science.0 -
grapefruit is delicious and even better when mixed with gin or vodka and limes0
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More importantly, many unpalatable or impracticable things can help people lose weight, including eating woodchips or wrestling bears. That doesn’t mean we eat woodchips or wrestle bears, although I’d honestly consider doing both before fake-smiling my way through another grapefruit half over Sunday brunch."
:laugh: Tee hee hee!0 -
A grapefruit killed my sister0
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So wait...why is it evil? Simply because it is not a "fat burner" which essentially does not exist? I freaking love Grapefruit.0
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I've never liked grapefruit - I find it bitter no matter how much sweet stuff I put on it, so I was delighted to hear that eating it would mess up the effectiveness of one of my medications. It is really nice to be told you can't eat something you don't want to eat, for a change....0
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Only the Ruby Red variety.0
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So wait...why is it evil? Simply because it is not a "fat burner" which essentially does not exist? I freaking love Grapefruit.
It's a tongue in cheek article.
But here's the allegation of why it is so very very bad:
. It’s plotting to murder you.
The compounds in grapefruit inhibit an enzyme in the intestine from metabolizing certain substances. These substances include drugs that regulate blood pressure (Nitrendipine), high cholesterol (Lipitor), heart arrhythmia (Cordarone), and depression (Zoloft). If you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice within three days of taking such drugs, your body fails to process the medications as it should, and you can experience side effects resulting from higher levels of the drug in your system. The bottom line? Grapefruit is trying to kill us.0 -
I've never liked grapefruit - I find it bitter no matter how much sweet stuff I put on it, so I was delighted to hear that eating it would mess up the effectiveness of one of my medications. It is really nice to be told you can't eat something you don't want to eat, for a change....
Agreed! It makes a change to have a "medical" reason not to eat something you didn't much like anyhow.0 -
I would kill for a delicious, juicy grapefruit, but the statin I take to keep my cholesterol in check has a warning on the label...DO NOT CONSUME GRAPEFRUIT OR GRAPEFRUIT JUICE WHILE TAKING THIS MEDICATION.
That seriously sucks. I love grapefruit. :mad:0
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