Naringin supplement from grapefruit, super-bioflavonoid

Grapefruit Extract is a supplement containing naringin produced naturally from grapefruits (Citrus paradisi). Guaranteed free from synthetic ingredients, the supplement is produced by extracting from all the parts of the pomelo – the pulp, seeds, and skin.

Each capsule provides around 300mg of naringin, equivalent, on average, to 30g of dried grapefruit peel.

What is naringin?

Naringin is the citrus flavonoid responsible for the typically tart taste of grapefruit and bitter orange (1). Also called 7-beta-neohesperidoside, it was first discovered in 1857 by De Vry in the flowers of grapefruit tree (2).

There is up to 500mg in a litre of mechanically-pressed grapefruit juice (as the pressure exerted on the fruit is stronger when a mechanical juicer is used, the juice comes into contact with the peel and membranes which are very rich in naringin, thus increasing its concentration).
However, obtaining stable levels of naringin is difficult as its concentration varies depending on how ripe the pomelo is (the riper the fruit, the less naringin there is), how it is processed (the elements responsible for the bitterness are often removed) and the conditions in which the fruit is grown.

The advantage of Grapefruit Extract is that each capsule contains the same amount of naringin – a real plus when, for example, a doctor wants to improve the way a particular drug is metabolised in a patient with absorption problems.

What are grapefruit’s benefits for health?

It offers multiple benefits :

• It has a high water content and is low in calories (barely 40 kcal per 100g).
• It’s very refreshing and not too sweet.
• Its tartness and richness in bioflavonoids are good for digestion (which is why it’s sometimes eaten as a starter).
• It’s a source of vitamin C.
• It is highly antioxidant (especially when the flesh is pink or red).
• It contains other beneficial flavonoids such as hesperetin.

It contains compounds which inhibit certain proteins, particularly those which affect drug metabolism. As a consequence, drugs are able to stay in the body for longer, generally increasing their effects.

Several compounds are involved in this inhibitory effect: naringin (found in Grapefruit Extract), naringenin and certain furanocoumarins (particularly bergamottin).

As for grapefruit extracts, they support the body’s microbiological balance(helping to maintain plasma vitamin E levels and cholesterol balance, etc.).