So how does a grapefruit juice diet plan works? The grapefruit contains fat burning enzymes that helps in eliminating fat. The most important active ingredient in grapefruit that helps us to lose weight is the naringin. This is a flavonoid compound that gives grapefruit its characteristic bitter flavor. It blocks the uptake of fatty acids into cells to prevent our bodies from effectively using the carbohydrates.
A study from a 2006 issue of the ‘Journal of Medicinal Food' showed that people who ate half a grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks lost 3.6 pounds. Likewise, people who drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3 pounds. Yet in this study, individuals ate healthy, balanced diets and could exercise up to three times a week even with a grapefruit juice diet.
Researchers think that the grapefruit assists in the management of insulin levels. After the study was complete, individuals taking grapefruit had lower levels of insulin and blood sugar than beginning of the grapefruit juice diet. The levels of insulin remained unchanged for those who didn't included grapefruit in their juice diet.
Lower levels of insulin may promote weight loss because with high levels of insulin, sugar is more likely to be stored as fat, thus prevent the body from breaking down fat. Also, high levels of insulin will make people feel hungry so that they eat more as a result.
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