It's NOT Your Grandma's Grapefruit Diet

For decades dieters have tried to lose weight by cozying up to grapefruit. The tart citrus has starred in countless diets since grandma was trying to shed a few pounds back in the '20s.

Now new research suggests grapefruit really can help pounds disappear—and here's the clincher—it can do it without drastic changes in eating habits. One recent incarnation of the grapefruit diet lets you stuff yourself, as long as you eat half a grapefruit before you do.

But don't grab your grapefruit knife just yet. There are several ways to slice today's infatuation with grapefruit.

Grapefruit times three

Early in 2004, the Scripps Clinic in California announced results of a 12-week study linking grapefruit to weight loss. Researchers put 100 men and women on a diet that included half a grapefruit or grapefruit juice three times a day with a meal. Average weight loss, according to Scripps, was 3.6 pounds for those who ate their grapefruit, 3.3 pounds for those who drank it. However, many reportedly lost more than 10 pounds.

Dr. Ken Fujioka, who led the study, said participants ate what they normally would and slightly increased their exercise. "The only dietary change," Fujioka said, "was the intake of Florida grapefruit and grapefruit juice." (Although grapefruit grows in sunny California, Fujioka's reference to "Florida" grapefruit reflects the connection between Scripps and the Florida Department of Citrus, which funded his research.)

Beyond weight loss, Fujioka's team monitored metabolic factors. Results led them to speculate grapefruit contains chemical properties that lower insulin levels and promote weight loss.

Whether grapefruit actually triggers fat-burning or simply satiates the appetite, Fujioka believes the study demonstrates grapefruit's role in overall health and wellness and in battling obesity. His work adds to a growing body of research on health benefits of grapefruit. However, anyone taking medications should check with their doctor before starting a grapefruit diet due to possible interactions.

Which grapefruit diet?

If you buy the notion that grapefruit encourages weight loss, next step is choosing a plan. Type "grapefruit diet" into MSN Search and you'll be overwhelmed with possibilities – including the perennial 800-calorie regimen few can stick with.

On the flip side, one diet that pops up frequently—and follows the grapefruit-with-every-meal approach used by Scripps—may be too good to be true. One version goes like this:

• Breakfast: Grapefruit with two eggs, two slices of bacon
• Lunch: Grapefruit with salad, any dressing, any meat in any amount
• Dinner: Grapefruit with salad or a red or green vegetable, meat or fish cooked any style, coffee or tea
• Bedtime snack: 8 ounces tomato juice or skim milk

With this diet it's supposedly the food combinations that burn fat so you can't eliminate anything. It's okay to eat meat, salad or vegetables until you're stuffed – and to fry things in butter. You avoid snacking, cut down on coffee, drink lots of water and steer clear of desserts, breads and certain vegetables.

Not surprisingly, it has its critics.

"Not only does this diet raise concern because of its high saturated fat and cholesterol intake, two factors contributing to heart disease and cancer, it also makes the claim that one can lose 52 pounds in 10 weeks. This sets up false expectations for a realistic and healthy rate of weight loss," said Christine E. Filardo, a registered dietitian with the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Filardo considers grapefruit a delicious food that makes a substantial contribution to the body's daily need for vitamins A and C, as well as fiber – all for the 60 calories in half a grapefruit. But her organization advocates eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables everyday. "Calorie for calorie," she says, "fruits and vegetables are a dieter's best friend."

Another option is what authors Daryl L. Thompson and M. Joseph Ahrens call the 'Trans Diet.' In their book, "The Grapefruit Solution," they make a case for grapefruit, juice or capsules as a value-add with most of today's popular diets. With its low ranking on the glycemic index, they maintain grapefruit can accelerate weight loss in low-carb, low-fat or portion-control diets.

The authors have strong ties to the Florida citrus industry, but their impetus goes beyond grapefruit. As Ahrens put it: "Our hope is that the public will recognize that we need to eat right (including grapefruit) and exercise, and adopt a healthier lifestyle to fight the growing epidemic of obesity."