Red grapefruit appears to lower cholesterol
and fight heart disease, Israeli researchers report.
The study included 57 people with
high blood cholesterol who'd recently had coronary bypass
surgery and whose high lipid levels failed to respond
to statin drugs, commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol.
The patients were divided into three groups. One group
received a single daily serving of fresh red grapefruit
for 30 consecutive days, another group received white
grapefruit, and a third group received no grapefruit.
All three groups were also fed regular, balanced meals.
Those who received red or white grapefruit showed significant
decreases in blood lipid levels. The patients who did
not eat grapefruit showed no changes in lipid levels.
The researchers found that red grapefruit was more effective
than white grapefruit in lowering lipid levels, particularly
blood triglycerides. Elevated levels of this type of cholesterol
are often associated with heart problems.
The antioxidants in grapefruit are likely responsible
for the health benefits and the fresh fruit and juice
are equally beneficial, the study authors said.
They also noted that red grapefruit generally has higher
levels of antioxidants than white varieties. It may also
be possible that red grapefruit has some unknown chemicals
that help reduce triglycerides. The researchers plan to
conduct further studies.
One caveat: a number of studies have shown that grapefruit
interacts with certain medications, so the researchers
advise individuals contemplating a boost in their grapefruit
consumption to consult first with their pharmacist.
The findings were published online by the Journal
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
