| Personal Care Corner | |
Grapefruit Seed Extract
by Brenda Guettler, from the February 2003 newsletter
Nothing is rich but the inexhaustible wealth of nature. She shows us only
surfaces, but she is a million fathoms deep.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
When walking through the produce department at the Co-op, admiring the selection of organic fruits and vegetables, take an extra close look at a grapefruit. See anything special? It is hard to imagine that this yellowish pink fruit has such amazing and diverse qualities. So diverse in fact that veterinarians, physicians, and hospital janitors alike are beginning to use a product extracted from grapefruits more and more.
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is prepared from the seeds, pulp, and white membrane from the fruits of the grapefruit. Due to the research instigated by a Yugoslavian born physicist named Dr. Jacob Harich (1919-1996), new light has been shed on the fruit of n. After World War II, Dr. Harich was enjoying a grapefruit for breakfast when he accidentally bit into one of the seeds. It was extremely bitter, which intrigued this young scientist. He was able to expand his research of the grapefruit seed after moving to Florida in 1963. Dr. Harich's claims prompted other institutions in Florida to research GSE. In 1990, GSE began receiving some attention from holistic health care practitioners who started recommending GSE to their patients for its powerful anti-microbial properties.
To understand what makes GSE such an amazing product, it is helpful to know a little bit about seeds in general. Seeds contain the genetic codes to create another plant. In some cases, they are the only way that a plant has of reproducing. Seeds are obviously very important, and so many protect themselves from the various bugs and microbes that could destroy them with chemicals. In grapefruit seeds, these chemical protectors are called polyphenolic compounds. Many seeds have chemicals that provide protection; polyphenolic compounds in grapefruit seeds are special because they can easily be converted into a form that is safe for human use. The chemicals in other seeds are often considered toxic to humans and animals.
GSE by itself is extremely acidic and is generally diluted with glycerine. For example, the GSE liquid we carry at the Co-op by NutriBiotic is 67% vegetable glycerine and 33% CITRICIDAL (the registered trademark form of GSE used in NutriBiotic products). "In hundreds of laboratory tests, GSE has demonstrated its ability to kill or inhibit the growth of a wide array of potentially harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoan parasites." (Sachs, 1997). A study by the Bio Research Laboratories of Redmond, Washington compared chlorine bleach to GSE and found that GSE was superior to chlorine bleach at killing organisms like E. coli. and Salmonella typhi. More and more studies like this are proving GSE more effective than common disinfectants like alcohol and bleach. Some farmers are beginning to use it as a way to extend the shelf life of their fruits and vegetables instead of chemical sprays.
The uses for GSE are diverse and luckily it is more ecologically sound than some of the products that it could potentially replace. Veterinarians have used it to cure ear infections in cats and dogs, purify raw meat given to pets, and treat Giardia. It is becoming more popular as a disinfectant in hospital laundries and for household use as well. The potential for human use is also extensive and exciting. Its properties could potentially treat dandruff, sore throat, nausea, cold sores, and the list goes on and on. Its use as a water purifier is still being tested, but campers may want to add it to their packs to use as a first aid spray, food rinse, and biodegradable dish soap.
As those of you who have tried to take this product internally can attest to, the taste is quite potent, so just make sure you follow the recommended dilutions. For those of you who just can't handle the taste, we also sell GSE in tablets. As always, be sure to consult your health care professional or veterinarian before using GSE for human or animal use.
References:
"The Authoritative Guide to Grapefruit Seed Extract, "Allan Sachs
D.C., C.C.N., LifeRhythm, 1997.
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, website: www.gale.com
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