Grapefruit Extract Supplement - Antioxidant Extract for Cell Health

Grapefruit Extract is a supplement containing naringin produced naturally from pomelos (Citrus paradisi). Guaranteed free from synthetic ingredients, the supplement is produced by extracting from all the parts of the pomelo – the pulp, seeds, and skin.

Each capsule provides around 300mg of naringin, equivalent, on average, to 30g of dried grapefruit peel.

What is naringin?

Naringin is the citrus flavonoid responsible for the typically tart taste of grapefruit and bitter orange (1). Also called 7-beta-neohesperidoside, it was first discovered in 1857 by De Vry in the flowers of Java pomelo (2).

There is up to 500mg in a litre of mechanically-pressed grapefruit juice (as the pressure exerted on the fruit is stronger when a mechanical juicer is used, the juice comes into contact with the peel and membranes which are very rich in naringin, thus increasing its concentration).
However, obtaining stable levels of naringin is difficult as its concentration varies depending on how ripe the pomelo is (the riper the fruit, the less naringin there is), how it is processed (the elements responsible for the bitterness are often removed) and the conditions in which the fruit is grown.

The advantage of Grapefruit Extract is that each capsule contains the same amount of naringin – a real plus when, for example, a doctor wants to improve the way a particular drug is metabolised in a patient with absorption problems.

What are pomelo’s benefits for health?

The pomelo (Citrus paradisi) is a fruit mainly consumed in the West, but which is incorrectly known as grapefruit. It is the result of crossing a bitter orange with an actual grapefruit (Citrus maxima).

It offers multiple benefits :

• It has a high water content and is low in calories (barely 40 kcal per 100g).
• It’s very refreshing and not too sweet.
• Its tartness and richness in bioflavonoids are good for digestion (which is why it’s sometimes eaten as a starter).
• It’s a source of vitamin C.
• It is highly antioxidant (especially when the flesh is pink or red).
• It contains other beneficial flavonoids such as hesperetin.

It contains compounds which inhibit certain proteins, particularly those which affect drug metabolism. As a consequence, drugs are able to stay in the body for longer, generally increasing their effects.

Several compounds are involved in this inhibitory effect: naringin (found in Grapefruit Extract), naringenin and certain furanocoumarins (particularly bergamottin).

As for pomelo extracts, they support the body’s microbiological balance(helping to maintain plasma vitamin E levels and cholesterol balance, etc.).

How should Grapefruit Extract be taken?

We recommend taking two capsules a day

You may also be interested in some other bioflavonoid-based supplements:

• Diosmin Plus, standardised to 80% diosmin.
• Super Quercetin, the gold standard for quercetin supplements.
• Pycnogenol, the essential OPC supplement (oligo-proanthocyanidins).

Do pomelo supplements cause any side-effects?

Because of their richness in naringin and coumarins, pomelo supplements can interfere with certain medicines (3), and Grapefruit Extract is no exception.

The drugs in question and potential side-effects include:

• Cardiovascular treatments: potential increase in side effects.
• Blood pressure-lowering drugs: potential risk of tachycardia.
• Blood cholesterol-lowering drugs (such as statins): potential adverse effects on muscle function.
• Anticoagulants: increased risk of bleeding.
• Neurological treatments: increased side-effects.

In general, this supplement is not recommended unless supervised by a health professional for those taking medication, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children or obese individuals (4). There are actually a number of drugs which should not be taken at the same time as grapefruit.

Even though it is primarily the furanocoumarins which are responsible for the drug interactions, naringin cannot be discounted. It has a minor effect but can boost that of the furanocoumarins.

1. Giannuzzo, A.N., Boggetti, H.J., Nazareno, M.A., Mishima, H.T., 2003. Supercritical fluid extraction of naringin from the peel of Citrus paradise. Phytochemical Analysis. 14, 221-223
2. THOMAS (D . W .), SMVTHE (C . V.), LABBEE (M . D.) . - Enwmatie Hvdrolvsis of Naringin the bitter principle of Grapefruit . Food Research, vol . 23, n° 6, novembre-décembre 1958 .
3. Allegre L., 2005. Le pamplemousse : caractéristiques et interactions médicamenteuses. Thèse de Docteur en Pharmacie, Marseille, 155p. Baxter K., 2010.
4. Delphine Chiandotto. Interaction médicaments et aliments : cas du jus de pamplemousse. Sciences pharmaceutiques. 2001. ffdumas-01438488f