The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, is a high-fat, low-carb diet designed to shift the body into a state called ketosis. In ketosis, the body transitions from burning carbohydrates for energy to using fat as its primary fuel source. A typical keto diet minimizes carbohydrate intake (usually below 50 grams daily) while increasing healthy fat consumption. By limiting carbs, the body is forced to break down fats for its main energy source. Still, the keto diet isn’t just about eating tons of fat. The keto diet revolves around moderate-protein, high-fat, and low-carb foods that can help dieters lose weight.
What’s In a Grapefruit?
Grapefruit is a large, round citrus fruit with a tart and sour flavor, closely related to oranges. It is often eaten raw or used in juices and recipes. Its low-calorie, high-fiber content makes it popular for dieters and health-conscious individuals. Grapefruit is chock full of nutrients and is a good source of hydrating fluids, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
Does Grapefruit Fit Into a Keto Diet?
The answer isn’t as straightforward as one might think. The answer to whether or not grapefruit is keto is both yes and no. It all depends on the daily carb limit you’ve set for your ketogenic diet. For example, if your carb limit is set below 20 grams per day, which is common for stricter keto plans, eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice might not be the best option. There are also different types of ketogenic diets, each with its own set of rules and guidelines.
Unfortunately, grapefruit’s carbohydrate content makes it a poor choice for strict ketogenic diets. Trying to fit grapefruit into a modified ketogenic diet-one that allows a higher daily carbohydrate intake of up to 100 grams-might be possible.
Although it offers health benefits like improved immunity and heart health, one grapefruit contains 26 grams of carbs, so it isn’t advisable on a keto diet.
Read also: Risks and Realities of the Grapefruit Diet
Types of Keto Diets
The type of ketogenic diet you follow will determine whether or not grapefruit is appropriate for your lifestyle. Generally speaking, if you’re following a strict Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) plan or a High Protein Keto Diet, you should probably avoid or limit grapefruit.
Here are the basic types of keto diets:
- Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): This is the most common and traditional type of keto diet, where carbohydrates are limited to 20-50 grams per day, protein is moderate and fat makes up the majority of calories (4).
- High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: This type of keto diet is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein.
How to Incorporate Grapefruit Into a Keto Diet
Keeping the balance between chowing down on some delicious grapefruit and maintaining your keto goals is totally doable. As you can see, it’s possible for you to enjoy the refreshing taste and health benefits of grapefruits while keeping track of your keto goals. You’ll need to carefully plan the rest of your meals to ensure you don’t exceed your daily carb intake. Balancing out the grapefruit with other low-carb foods throughout the day is essential if you want to make it work on the keto diet. Plus, grapefruits are packed full of all sorts of vitamins and nutrients. Living a keto lifestyle means being mindful of what you eat, and grapefruits can be a delicious, healthy addition to your meal plan.
- If you’re a big fan of grapefruit, eating one or two slices won’t do any harm because half a grapefruit only has around 13 grams of carbs.
1. Measure and Track Your Carb Intake
If you’re trying to fit grapefruit into your keto diet, you’ll need to be extra mindful of your carb intake.
2. Don’t Rely On Grapefruit Alone For Your Nutritional Needs
Grapefruit is a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but it’s not a complete food. You should still strive to get your nutrients from other sources as well.
Read also: Is Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice Healthy?
3. Consider Alternatives To Grapefruit
If you’re following a strict SKD or High Protein Keto Diet, consider alternatives to grapefruit. Other lower-carb fruits may be more suitable for those on a ketogenic diet. And if you’re looking for lower-carb alternatives, consider berries, watermelon, plums, kiwi and clementine.
Here are a few options:
- Avocado (1.1 net carbs per 1/2 fruit) - low in carbs, and rich in heart-healthy fats.
- Raspberries (7 net carbs per cup) - high in fiber and vitamin C. Berries are nutrient-dense and low-carb, which is rare for a fruit.
- Watermelon (11 grams per cup) - low in calories and carbs, but high in water content for added hydration. Like berries, watermelon has a high ORAC score. This score measures the antioxidant properties of food. But remember that watermelon has a glycemic index of 65, which is higher than table sugar.
- Oranges (12.2 net carbs per medium orange) - high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium. Clementine looks just like an orange, but it’s smaller and has a lower carb count. Clementine is unique because it provides 40 percent of your daily vitamin C requirements.
- Lemons (2.8 net carbs per lemon) - low in calories, and an excellent source of vitamin C (2).
- Consider keto plum sweeteners if you’re using plums to make dessert.
- Even though kiwis are sweet and tasty, the carb content is surprisingly low.
4. Avoid Juicing
If you’re drinking grapefruit juice, the sugar and calorie count will be much higher than if you just ate the fruit. You’ll need several pieces of grapefruit to make one cup, so the sugar and calorie count of juice is much higher than if you just ate the fruit. Furthermore, the fiber has been removed from the juice, and you won’t benefit from its full nutritional profile. Drinking grapefruit juice on a ketogenic diet isn’t recommended.
5. Satiety
Satiety is a huge factor when it comes to portion control and sticking to a healthy diet. You’re less likely to overeat if you’re feeling full.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Yes, grapefruit seed extract is appropriate for keto as it has zero carbs. This must be pure, non-synthetic extract and without added sugars, as the latter will add carbs and sugar to your diet. Make sure to check the label before buying.
Read also: Weight loss with grapefruit
The Grapefruit Diet: A Fad Revisited
The grapefruit diet was among one of the first fad diets to be introduced to the public. Popularized as the “Hollywood diet,” the grapefruit diet involves eating grapefruit or drinking its juice with every meal. Supporters of the diet claim grapefruit can help burn fat, quickly leading to weight loss in as few as 12 days. But there’s limited research to support these claims. Unlike single food diets like the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit diet consists of more than just grapefruit. The diet calls for a protein-rich meal plan that incorporates a grapefruit or grapefruit juice at every meal. The grapefruit diet promises quick and rapid weight loss due to claims that grapefruit has fat-burning enzymes. Supporters of the diet believe you can lose as much as 10 pounds in 12 days. Despite anecdotal evidence, there’s no research that supports claims of this fat-burning enzyme.
Multiple versions of the grapefruit diet exist, but every version is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and calories. There are multiple versions of guidelines for the diet, but many sources claim it should last 2 or 3 weeks. Generally, people following the grapefruit diet can prepare their foods however they like, including with spices, salad dressings, or butter.
Here is an example of meals included in the Grapefruit Diet:
- Breakfast: two boiled eggs, two slices of bacon, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice
- Lunch: salad with dressing, any meat in any amount, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice
- Dinner: any kind of meat prepared any way, salad or red and green vegetables, coffee or tea, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice
- Bedtime snack: 8 ounces of skim milk
The Reality of the Grapefruit Diet
Although claims of some magical fat-burning enzyme in grapefruits aren’t backed by research, studies have found grapefruit to be positively associated with weight loss. One study found that participants who consumed grapefruit daily with meals experienced reduced waist size (12). A 2014 study found that body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) were lower among female grapefruit consumers when compared to non-consumers (13). More current research is needed to determine the connection between grapefruit consumption and weight loss. Although quick and temporary weight loss is possible on the grapefruit diet, it’s probably due to the fact that you’re consuming less than 1,000 calories a day (14). Promises of losing 10 pounds in 12 days is unrealistic and unsustainable. You may initially lose weight on this diet. But studies show that low calorie diets rarely keep weight off for good (15, 16).
Potential Benefits of Grapefruit
Incorporating low calorie, highly nutritious foods like grapefruit into your diet is a smart and healthy choice - not just for weight loss, if that’s your goal, but for your overall health. A single grapefruit contains over 60% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties known to protect and strengthen your immune system (1). In addition to protecting your immune system, research shows that grapefruit consumption is associated with higher intake of magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber, and improved diet quality (2). Fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits like grapefruit may help protect against heart disease and stroke (3, 4). Grapefruit’s fiber-rich content may also help you feel fuller and eat fewer calories throughout the day (5), which may help with weight loss.
Drawbacks of the Grapefruit Diet
Although grapefruits are a low calorie, nutrient-dense option with many health benefits, this diet is problematic for other reasons. There’s no evidence of magical fat-burning enzymes associated with grapefruits. Quick, temporary weight loss associated with the grapefruit diet is likely due to the low calorie and low carb intake (7). This would result in quick, temporary weight loss even without the grapefruit. While low-calorie diets may result in initial weight loss, they’re rarely successful for those seeking long-term results. There are health drawbacks, too. Low calorie diets can weaken your bones, lower your metabolism, and cause fatigue, muscle loss, and nutrient deficiencies (8, 9, 10, 11). Another negative aspect of the diet plan is its limitations. Twelve days on such a restricted plan may be possible, but eating the same foods and such few calories every day could lead some people to ultimately abandon the plan. The grapefruit diet is also ambiguous. With multiple versions, it’s bound to cause confusion among followers. In addition, most salad dressings and meats you can eat on the grapefruit diet - especially the daily morning bacon - are high in saturated fats and cholesterol.
Grapefruit and Medications: A Word of Caution
Grapefruit can be part of a healthy diet, but it can also interfere with certain medications. Grapefruit juice tends to interfere with the action of these drugs because it contains a class of chemicals called furanocoumarins. Studies show that furanocoumarins may increase the blood levels of over 85 medications (18).
By slowing down how your body normally breaks down medications in your gut and liver, grapefruit can increase the side effects of these drugs, increasing your risk for complications. For other drugs, such as antihistamines, grapefruit may have the opposite effect, reducing the drug’s effectiveness (19).
- Grapefruit contains organic compounds that interfere with a group of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of drugs, including statins, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications.
Here are some common medications that can be affected by grapefruit:
- some statin drugs that lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin)
- some drugs that lower blood pressure, such as Procardia and Adalat CC (both nifedipine)
- some organ-transplant rejection drugs, such as Sandimmune and Neoral (both cyclosporine)
- some anti-anxiety drugs, such as buspirone
- some corticosteroids that treat Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, such as Entocort EC and Uceris (both budesonide)
- some drugs that treat abnormal heart rhythms, such as Pacerone and Nexterone (both amiodarone)
- some antihistamines, such as Allegra (fexofenadine)
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can have fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking these and other medications.
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