{"id":26504,"date":"2017-01-02T01:16:28","date_gmt":"2017-01-02T01:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/?p=26504"},"modified":"2017-11-28T13:19:16","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T18:19:16","slug":"grapefruit-oil-uses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2017\/01\/grapefruit-oil-uses\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Reasons to Groove on Grapefruit Oil for a Fitter and More Fabulous New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/strong><\/p>\n In my latest article, Ode, Scold, and Behold the Power of Grapefruit and The Difference Between the Fruit and Oil<\/a>, <\/strong>I discussed all the benefits of this fruit and the downside of its \u201cdark side.\u201d Specifically, this citrus powerhouse is known to interact with more than 85 medications, and 43 can be pretty severe.1<\/sup><\/p>\n However, this safety scare that has turned one of America\u2019s most beloved breakfast fruits into the \u201cforbidden fruit\u201d is barely a concern for the essential oil. In the article<\/a>, I review the evidence on how the constituent (furanocoumarins) responsible for the dangerous interaction is barely perceptible in the oil. Finally, I provide an overview of all the possible uses of citrus oils, highlighting grapefruit.<\/p>\n In this blog, I will share some more studies that prove the \u201cgroovy-ness\u201d of grapefruit oil and redeem the fruit’s good name.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reason One: Health Promotion<\/strong><\/p>\n Microbe inhibition & Antioxidant Support<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the American Journal of Plant Sciences, <\/em>several compounds found in citrus peels make the oil rich in antioxidants and effective immune defenders:<\/p>\n There are several reports on the essential oil composition of citrus peels, some of which includes; D-limonene, \u03b2-Myrcene, \u03b1-pinene, \u03b2-pinene, \u03b3-terpinene, \u03b1-terpinolene, \u03b1-Caryophyllene, copaene, \u03b2-phellandrene etc. [5,11-14]. Citrus fruits peels are also known to contain some antioxidants; flavonoids such as hesperidine, narirutin, naringin and eriocitrin, and also polyphenols such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and sinapinic acid [8,15-17]. The antimicrobial roles of flavonoids are well documented [<\/em>18].2<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n In a 2009 study, researchers sought to determine the microbe-inhibiting effect of several essential oils, including grapefruit oil, on common hospital acquired bacterial and yeast infections. The oils were tested against several controls. The authors concluded, \u201cRemarkably, almost all tested oils demonstrated efficacy against hospital-acquired isolates and reference strains, whereas Olive and Paraffin oil from the control group produced no inhibition. As proven in vitro, essential oils represent a cheap and effective antiseptic topical treatment option even for antibiotic-resistant strains as MRSA and antimycotic-resistant Candida species.\u201d 3<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reason Two: Healthy Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n Appetite Effects in Rodents and Nervous System Effects in Humans<\/strong><\/p>\n Previously, I wrote<\/a> on how aroma and essential oils modulate appetite and have a potential to support healthy weight. In a 2005 study, researchers concluded the following about inhaling the scent of grapefruit oil (SGFO) in rodents, \u201cFurthermore, a 15-min exposure to SGFO three times a week reduced food intake and body weight. Finally, limonene, a component of grapefruit oil, induced responses similar to those caused by SGFO, and diphenhydramine eliminated the glycerol response to limonene. Thus, the scent of grapefruit oil, and particularly its primary component limonene, affects autonomic nerves, enhances lipolysis through a histaminergic response, and reduces appetite and body weight.\u201d4<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n Several of the same authors reported in another journal that same year that grapefruit was stimulatory. This was thought to be one primary mechanism for the effect on appetite and weight of rodents, \u201cThese findings suggest that scent of grapefruit oil and its active component, limonene, affect autonomic neurotransmission and blood pressure through central histaminergic nerves and the suprachiasmatic nucleus.\u201d5<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n In an earlier study, other researchers also found evidence that grapefruit oil simulated the sympathetic nervous activity in fat tissue in rats, increasing fat breakdown and prevention of weight gain.6<\/sup><\/p>\n