The essential oils that we know and love are derived from plants, but this does not necessarily mean that the therapeutic benefits or uses from the plant to essential oil are the same. In many cases, this does not hold true. There are many recipes online utilizing essential oils that do not honor chemistry and do not focus on safe use. Essential oil sustainability is also a massive concern as more and more people are stepping into the essential oil community every day. It is not necessary to use oils every day, or in everything. When we see a recipe shared online, we must ask ourselves if it is necessary, shifting the way we currently see these beautiful resources. Today my focus is on grapefruit essential oil: From Farm to Oil: Evolution of Plant Medicine-A Spotlight on Grapefruit
My goal in this series of blogs is to celebrate plants in all of their glory. I will walk you through from farm to oil. Uses, limitations, and fun recipes of each botanical will be covered. Within each article I will discuss the herb, flower, fruit, seed, root, or bark, and finally, the oil. This will be informative and most importantly, FUN!
Today is all about Grapefruit. I will be covering the fruit and its uses, as well as the essential oil, as there are some differences.
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) essential oil is derived from the rind of the fruit. Unlike lemons that are heavily sprayed with pesticides, grapefruit is not; therefore buying the essential oil in its organic form is not necessary.
It is assumed that taking grapefruit essential oil internally in water will 1-detoxify you/cleanse the body, 2-help you to lose weight, 3-uplift mood.
Let’s pull that apart.…
1-Do essential oils cleanse the body or detoxify you?
A topic that is so incredibly misunderstood is essential oils and detoxification. Do essential oils detoxify you, or specifically your liver? I wish I could see how many mouths are going to drop right now when I say technically some of them can but it is very much not in the way that is talked about in social media or even with certain health gurus that have taken to share all about essential oils. There is A LOT of MISINFORMATION. I want to rephrase ‘detoxification’ and say that essential oils can offer our liver support.
*Remember, essential oils DO in fact contain chemicals much like drugs and pharmaceuticals contain chemicals. Even though oils are derived from plants, once distilled they are not really all natural any longer. Not in the way that we can place them on our skin undiluted or just drop in our mouth without risk.
So when I said a moment ago that essential oils do have the potential to support your liver and provide some sort of detoxification, it is really not what you’re thinking.
Placing essential oils in water is not the ideal way for a few reasons. The first is the risk involved. Since oils are so concentrated and strong..if we do not put them in a carrier oil or a capsule, we put the lining of our digestive tract at risk for irritation, potentially severe. When taking essential oils in water is it reaching the intended target? OR…more than likely is much of it being destroyed by the acidity in your stomach and then pushed through Phase I and Phase II detoxification? Dropping essential oils in your water to drink is frankly a total waste of your oils.
There are very specific oils that have therapeutic qualities called chologogues. Grapefruit is a chologogue.
What are chologogues, and what can they do for us? Chologogues promote the flow of bile [1]. This is a good thing because bile is necessary for the breakdown of fat. If we are utilizing something to help the flow of bile, we are essentially giving support to our liver…..and by removing fats from the body…we can technically in a round a bout way call it detoxification…this is just not the detoxification we first think of, right?
*Anyone that has liver disease or is currently suffering from gallstones or even has blocked or stopped bile flow, which is called cholestasis, should use caution with these oils [2].
Just remember, the method of use is important. Inhalation or PROPER internal use would be much more effective than in a glass of water. But….the fruit is better than the oil here, hands down! Eat more grapefruit.
**Note….the contraindications to the fruit and the essential oil are different. More on this in a moment.
2-Inhaling grapefruit essential oil can aid in weight loss.
This fact has been extrapolated, a bit. It is recommended in water to achieve this, but we should look to manage cravings due to its sweet scent (this can be construed as helping to not “gain weight” or to help initiate weight loss [3]. So, in order to manage cravings, place grapefruit essential oil in an inhaler and use when you have cravings. This can initiate weight gain by helping you not overeat. This is not achieved by placing drops of oil in your water.
The fruit, however, can initiate weight loss by eating it! Grapefruit is full of nutrients such as vitamin A, C, potassium, lycopene, etc. It is easy to see that grapefruit has a stellar nutrient profile. Perhaps the most impressive is that even though it contains plenty of natural sugar, it is extremely low in the glycemic index (GI) so it does not affect blood sugar levels. Many studies suggest that it decreases the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and has been proven to help you to lose weight [4].
Can you begin to see the complexity of misinformation out there?
3-Inhaling grapefruit essential oil can uplift mood.
This is absolutely true!!! Ding Ding.
A study published in 2002 by the Japanese Journal of Pharmacology showed that inhaling the scent of grapefruit was uplifting to mood [5]. Yet, another fantastic reason to get this oil in an inhaler or diffuser.
Grapefruit has a number of contraindications with various drugs. Learn more about that here.
The essential oil is not the same. According to Robert Tisserand, Grapefruit is slightly phototoxic (max dermal level 4%), but does NOT have the same drug interactions as the fruit.
For more details on grapefruit, refer to Tisserand’s, Essential Oil Safety 2e.
Closing
When we take from the earth for nutrition, sustenance, and healing, it is important that we always consider not only the impact of our use but on giving back. In an ideal world, if we all gave back a little bit more than we take, the impact would be massive. As you can see here with grapefruit, the uses and cautions from fruit to oil are very different.
Like so many practices in life, I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
References
[1] Chologogue definition Retrieved from https://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/herbal-actions/b-d/cholagogue/
[2] Chologogue collection Retrieved from https://iliveok.com/health/cholagogue-collection_89768i15828.html
[3] Shen, J. et.al (2005) Olfactory stimulation with scent of grapefruit oil affects autonomic
nerves, lipolysis and appetite in rats.Science Direct. 289–294
[4] Hawrelak, J., Myers P. Grapefruit Causes Weight Loss. Journal of Complementary Medicine. Vol. 6, No. 1, Jan/Feb 2007: 76-77
[5] Haze, S. et al (2002) Effects of fragrance inhalation on sympathetic activity in normal adults. The Japanese journal of pharmacology. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjp/90/3/90_3_247/_article/-char/ja/
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