The grapefruit diet has been around for a long time. It is unclear who first popularised this dietary protocol. It is fairly straight forward to understand what this eating regime involves. This is what I shall discuss first of all. Obviously we all know that this diet is going to involve eating grapefruit. But ‘when and how much?’ is the first question that springs to mind. Basically with each meal the idea is that the person on the diet eats half a grapefruit, typically at the start of the meal. This is alleged to provide some fat burning enzyme that helps the dieter to lose weight. Unfortunately there have so far been no scientific studies that have proved the result of this “special property” of grapefruit so the diet may be noting more than hearsay. That said, there have been some studies into the health properties of grapefruit which do seem to show that adding grapefruit to the food we eat can have positive effects upon our health and help us to lose weight if that is what we are interested in. But rather than these effects being attributed to a mysterious enzyme, researchers point towards the low glycemic index of grapefruit, its high fiber content and low calorie count as more likely factors in its efficacy.

The grapefruit diet is supposed to last for 12 days with half a grapefruit eaten with each and every meal for these 12 days. Further it is not just adding grapefruit to the diet that is required. It is easy to find details of foods that can be eaten while on the grapefruit diet if you do an internet search. However I shall briefly mention some points about the foods that are to be consumed. There is a lack of carbohydrates in this diet, e.g. potatoes, breads, pasta and rice. Dieters are encouraged to eat as much meat and fish as they want at lunch and dinner. It is similar to the Atkins diet in many respects but with the addition of grapefruit. My personal opinion is that this sort of diet is not good for our bodies. It is far from balanced and the idea that it is possible to eat as much meat and fish as we like but also lose weight seems strange.

Personally when I first started to research this diet I was intrigued by its possibilities. I have also recently read much more about grapefruit and their health benefits. The are high in fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin A while being a low calorie fruit. This is all good. However we do not need to go on “the grapefruit diet” to get the benefits from eating them. Simply eating more as part of a balanced diet is in my opinion a better way to go.