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Fresh Florida Grapefruit and Florida Grapefruit Juice are nutrient-dense and can be a healthy addition to any diet, including a weight-loss diet. 100% grapefruit juice contains no added sugars, making it a healthy replacement of sugar-sweetened beverages. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes that 100% fruit juice, along with water and low/fat-free milk, should be the primary beverages of choice to maintain a healthy diet.1
Anecdotally, fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice have long been associated with weight loss. There is a history of grapefruit being included as a key component of a number of “trendy” or “fad” weight loss plans that are very limited in their food selection and typically very low in calories (under 1,000 calories per day). These types of diets are not recommended as they fall short in providing needed nutrients and/or are too low in calories for most people.
The good news is that observational2 and clinical3-5 research studies, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, do provide evidence for a positive role for grapefruit or grapefruit juice in weight loss or body composition measures such as waist circumference when included as part of the usual or a calorie-reduced diet.
Fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice can be key parts of a weight loss plan because:
Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t always easy but drinking Florida Grapefruit Juice or eating fresh grapefruit and doing a few simple things daily can help. Move, stay hydrated, eat lots of fruits and veggies, be active outdoors, and incorporate more nutrients into your daily diet to benefit your overall health and wellness.
Grapefruit Juice has more nutrients per ounce and fewer calories than other commonly consumed 100% fruit juices.7
In a cross-sectional analysis of over 12,000 adults in the 2003-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), women who consumed grapefruit (combined juice, fresh, canned and frozen) had lower body weight, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) compared to non-consumers; however there was no significant association between grapefruit consumption and risk of being overweight or obese in either men or women.2
Clinical trials also support a positive role for fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice in weight loss when included as part of the usual diet. In a randomized controlled trial with 91 obese adults, the consumption of ½ fresh grapefruit before each of 3 daily meals for 12 weeks resulted in significant body weight reduction with no difference in body fat percentage or waist circumference compared to pre-meal consumption of a placebo drink, 1 cup grapefruit juice, or a grapefruit capsule (containing 500 mg whole freeze-dried grapefruit). In a subset of participants with metabolic syndrome, those who consumed ½ fresh grapefruit, 1 cup grapefruit juice, or a grapefruit capsule daily lost more weight than participants in the placebo group.3
A randomized controlled study with 85 obese adults reported significant weight loss when consuming equal weights of grapefruit juice (12 ounces), fresh grapefruit (381 grams), or water (control) as a preload to 3 meals/day for 12 weeks as part of a caloric-restricted diet. However, there was no significant difference in weight loss in those consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice before meals versus water alone.4
Consuming one half of a Rio Red grapefruit before each of 3 meals/day for 6 weeks resulted in modest (nonsignificant) weight loss but a significant reduction in waist circumference in a study of 74 overweight adults.5
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