The Hollywood Diet, also known as the Grapefruit Diet or the 18-Day Diet, has been a recurring fad since its emergence in the United States in the 1930s. It's characterized by the consumption of grapefruit at each meal, alongside other specific food choices. This article aims to explore the ingredients, purported benefits, and crucial considerations surrounding the Hollywood Diet juice and the broader grapefruit diet.
Origins and Variations of the Hollywood Diet
The Grapefruit Diet originated in the 1930s and was initially referred to as the "eighteen-day diet" in 1929. This early version consisted of grapefruit, orange, toast, vegetable, and egg combinations for 18 days, totaling approximately 500 kilocalories (2,100 kJ). There are variations on the diet, although it generally consists of eating one grapefruit at each meal, along with meat, eggs, other foods that are rich in fat and protein, and certain vegetables. Sugar, fruits (other than grapefruit), sweet vegetables, grains and starchy vegetables are to be avoided, making it a low-carbohydrate diet. The diet is based on the claim that grapefruit has a fat-burning enzyme or similar property and does not require exercise.
Core Principles of the Grapefruit Diet
The diet calls for a protein-rich meal plan that incorporates a grapefruit or grapefruit juice at every meal. Supporters of the diet claim grapefruit can help burn fat, quickly leading to weight loss in as few as 12 days. The grapefruit diet promises quick and rapid weight loss due to claims that grapefruit has fat-burning enzymes. Despite anecdotal evidence, there’s no research that supports claims of this fat-burning enzyme. Generally, people following the grapefruit diet can prepare their foods however they like, including with spices, salad dressings, or butter.
Examples of meals include:
- 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 Hollywood 48-Hour Miracle Diet®
If you’re looking for another way to integrate fasting into your routine-or simply want a quick “jump start” to healthier habits-consider The Hollywood 48-Hour Miracle Diet®. The Hollywood 48-Hour Miracle Diet® is a specially crafted juice blend fortified with vitamins, minerals, essential oils, and natural fruit purees. Because it’s low in calories-around 400 per day when used as directed-it fits neatly into an intermittent fasting framework. Simply mix the concentrate with water and sip on it throughout 48 hours.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
For two days enjoy a special formulation of juices and botanical extracts. Day One: Mix one 4 oz. serving of concentrate with 4 oz. of bottled water. Sip over the next 4 hours. Repeat this 3 more times during the rest of the day. For best results use once a week.
Ingredients: Purified water, pineapple, apple and orange juice concentrates, apricot and banana purees, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D, vitamin E, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine HCL (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12).
Clinical Trial
This short duration randomized, placebo-based clinical trial clearly shows that 'The Hollywood Diet' is effective in delivering 'weight loss', and general well-being. Each participant's baseline weight was taken on two occasions two days apart. The first time each participant was weighed in, then given The Hollywood 48-Hour Miracle Diet® juice and instructed to drink the juice for the next two days. Each participant returned for post test weigh-out measurements.
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.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Criticisms and Drawbacks
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.
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.
Carl Malmberg commented that it lacks in all the necessary minerals (calcium, phosphorus and iron) and in vitamin A.
Recent Scientific Research and Meal Timing
Recent scientific research and real-world evidence suggest that when you eat may have a substantial impact on your metabolism, weight, and overall health. In fact, meal timing can be just as important as what you eat-not only for weight loss but also for predicting risks of future disease and disability. Of course, managing your calories still matters if you want to shed those extra pounds. Groundbreaking studies from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have shown that meal timing can affect weight control and disease risk. As Assistant Professor Satchidananda Panda (who led the Salk research) explains, restricting your daily eating window to about 8 hours could produce similar benefits in humans.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
Interactions with Medications
Grapefruit juice and fresh grapefruit can be part of a balanced, healthy diet (17). 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 buspironesome 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)
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). Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can have fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking these and other medications.