Guest guest Posted December 19, 2007 Report Share Posted December 19, 2007  Press TV online now FIFA pres. hails Asian women's football Iranian Leader's Hajj message Search Site Web Select Color Home Page Iran Middle East US Asia/Pacific Africa Europe Americas Sci/Tech Health Sports Society Business Most Popular ----------------- Programs | Schedule | Mobiles | News Feeds | Newsletter | ----------------- About Us Contact Us Feedback ----------------- Onlinequestionnaire ----------------- Cartoon contest Alternative medicine: Grapefruit Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:33:07 By Khashayar, MD., Press TV, Tehran Grapefruit, the 'forbidden fruit' of Barbados is recommended for lowering blood cholesterol levels due to its fat metabolism effects. Botanical: Citrus paradisi Family: N.O. Rutaceae Habitat: Grapefruit is believed to be native to Jamaica. Description: It is a sub-tropical citrus tree, originally named as the 'forbidden fruit' of Barbados. The evergreen grapefruit tree can grow to a height of 5-6 meters. Grapefruits are round with thin yellow or yellow with a pinkish hue peel. It is more or less acidic, sweet, and fragrant. Part Used Medicinally: Fruit Constituents: Grapefruit is a rich source of many nutrients and phytochemicals; it is a good source of vitamin C, pectin fiber, and the beneficial antioxidant lycopene. A cup of unsweetened grapefruit juice has 95mg of vitamin C. It contains considerable amounts of carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and fiber. Pink and red varieties are high in beta carotene, a vitamin A precursor. Grapefruit seed has low antioxidant properties. Medicinal Uses: Grapefruit lowers cholesterol. It contains bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals which protect the body against cancer and heart disease. Grapefruit seed extract is a strong antimicrobial. Grapefruit flower essence helps overcome insomnia. Grapefruit pulp is an effective treatment for urinary disorders. Leaf extractions have antibiotic activity. Grapefruit stimulates the appetite and is used for its digestive, stomachic and diuretic qualities. Daily consumption of grapefruit helps alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory disorders. Caution : Allergic individuals to citrus fruits are likely to react to grapefruit. Scientists believe the daily consumption of a quarter of grapefruit is associated with a 30% increase in breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women. Grapefruit often increase the effective potency of several drugs by blocking a special enzyme in the intestines, which may lead to toxicity and other side effects. Taking such medications along with grapefruit juice can damage organs or impair their normal function. Reported drug interactions with the fruit include: Statins (Baycol (Cerivastatin), Mevacor (Lovastatin), Lipitor (Atorvastatin), Zocor (Simvastatin)), Antihistamines (Ebastine, Seldane (Terfenadine)), Calcium Channel Blockers (Blood Pressure Drugs) (Nimotop (Nimodipine), Nitrendipine, Plendil (Felodipine)), Psychiatric Medications (Buspar (Buspirone), Halcion (Triazolam), Tegretol (Carbamazepine), Valium (epam), Versed (Midazolam)), Intestinal Medication (Propulsid (Cisapride)), Immune Suppressants (Neoral (Cyclosporine), Prograf (Tacrolimus)), Pain Medication (Methadone). PKH/HGH Related News Alternative medicine: Orange Alternative medicine: Apple Alternative medicine: Thyme E-mail this Story | Print this Story | Post a comment Count of views : 292 Share: Del.icio.us Digg Facebook Newsvine Reddit Technorati Latest News Bahrain protestors clash with police Mercosur summit wraps up UN extends Iraq mandate for one year US sliding toward recession US 'vulnerable to disasters' Judge orders hearing on CIA videos Car bomb blasts kill 6 more Iraqis Spotlight Reports freeman talks about natural disasters Interviews The Iranian nose job story Reflections The first Palestinian Intifada Features Yalda, the victory of light over darkness QUICK VOTE In view of the new NIE report on Iran, the Israeli lobby will ------. resort to military actionrecoil from their positionstick to more sanctions Results resort to military action (39%) recoil from their position (10%) stick to more sanctions (49%) Current Weather Home | About Us | Feedback | Contact Us © Press TV 2007. All rights reserved. Our privacy Policy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.