This is very troubling information about Grapefruit Seed Extract, which I post for your consideration.  I am frequently concerned about the lack of control over exaggerated claims for natural remedies, and by the disinclination to accept that there could be ANYTHING wrong, for fear that it might be thought EVERYTHING is wrong.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Todd Caldecott
www.toddcaldecott.com

The ubiquitous and widespread usage of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) within the health food industry, including its use by supposedly knowledgeable practitioners, is an issue of serious concern for me as a herbalist, researcher and clinician. GSE in various forms is used by hundreds of thousands of consumers all over the world, all of whom praise the virtues of this "natural" antibiotic.

In 1999 a study authored by Sakamoto, Sato, Maitani, and Yamada details an analysis of a commercially available GSE and compared this to an ethanol extract of grapefruit seeds (Citrus paradisi). The researchers report that two chemicals found in GSE and not in the ethanol extract were methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate and triclosan, two commonly used preservative compounds (1). This study was followed up in 1999 by von Woedtke, Schluter, Pflegel, Lindequist and Julich, who analyzed the antimicrobial efficacy of six commercially available GSEs and one self-made extract from the seed and juiceless pulp of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi). The researchers found that five of the commercially available extracts had significant antimicrobial activities, all of which contained the preservative benzethonium chloride. Three of these same extracts were also found to contain the preservatives triclosan and methyl parabene. The researchers found that only one of the commercial GSEs tested had no preserving agent, but that this extract as well as the self-made extract had no antimicrobial activity. The researchers concluded that the antimicrobial activity being attributed to GSE is "...merely due to the synthetic preservative agents contained within"(2).

While on the one hand the marketing of GSE could be nothing more than a kind of charlatanism, there are additional concerns about the long term safety of ingesting the aforementioned preservatives. I am quite sure than many of the people currently using GSE, who espouse the value of natural alternatives over commonly used synthetic drugs and spend their hard earned money to buy "all-natural" products, would be shocked to learn the mechanism of GSE's biological activity.

Benzethonium chloride is commonly used as a disinfectant in cosmetic products. In Switzerland benzethonium chloride is classified as a "...disinfectant categorized as a class 2 poison because of its teratogenicity and caustic effects" (3). The amount found in some GSE products is upwards of 8% (4), considerably more than many cosmetic products. The Environmental Defense Fund describes benzethonium chloride as a "suspected endocrine toxicant" that "lacks...data required for safety assessment" (5). According to the National Institute For Occupational Health and Safety the internal ingestion of benzethonium chloride could cause "...diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, collapse, convulsions (and) coma" (6). Some sources suggest that benzethonium chloride is a by-product produced from grapefruit flavonoids by ammoniation, but researchers at the USDA regard this as highly unlikely (4). Regardless of its origin, benzethonium chloride is clearly stated to be a potentially harmful compound, and is not approved for internal use in the United States.

Triclosan is structurally related to a number of bis-phenyl polychlorinated and bis-phenyl chlorophenol compounds that have come under increasing scrutiny for their health-damaging effects. Triclosan is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a "pesticide" (7). It is widely used in the cosmetic industry, especially in antibiotic soaps, and has been fingered as a factor for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (8). Researchers are finding it wastewater, in the tissues of fish, and even in human breast milk (9). While triclosan is approved for use in topical and oral applications, it is not approved for internal use in the United States.

GSE is marketed as an all natural and perfectly safe health food product, when it is neither. Various Citrus species have been used as a food and medicine in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. While they have many many benefits, neither Chinese nor Ayurvedic medicine has ever advocated the use of Grapefruit seed or any other Citrus seed in acute infectious disease: this alone should provide some clue as to its effects or lack thereof.

Todd Caldecott
Clinical Herbalist (Cl.H.)
Professional Member of the American Herbalists Guild R(AHG)
665 San Roy Dr. S.
Dunedin, FL 34698

1. Sakamoto S, Sato K, Maitani T, Yamada T. 1996. Analysis of components in natural food additive "grapefruit seed extract" by HPLC and LC/MS. Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku. 1996;(114):38-42.
2. von Woedtke T, Schluter B, Pflegel P, Lindequist U, Julich WD. 1999. Aspects of the antimicrobial efficacy of grapefruit seed extract and its relation to preservative substances contained. Pharmazie. 1999 Jun;54(6):452-6.
3. link
4. Takeoka GR, Dao LT, Wong RY, Lundin RE, Mahoney NE. 2001. Identification of Benzethonium Chloride in Commercial Grapefruit Seed Extracts J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, 49, 3316-3320
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7. Grapefruit Seed Extract

This is a lengthy response, but I think it very important that you understand that there is a difference between the companies who market mainly to the general publlic, and those smaller companies which are more insular in their approach.

Here is the article reporting on the problem ( though I was amused to see that 14 out of  70 apparently qualifies for "most" status).

Here is the response of Himalaya USA, our main Ayurvedic Company, and one we have carried since their first year in the USA. I think you will find it reassuring!  You will find their products here.

The recent article about Ayurvedic Medicine in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) illustrates two major issues within the herbal healthcare industry:

1. the illegal importation of products and

2. the need for the FDA to fully enforce DSHEA.

As the article noted, these herbal products were purchased at South Asian grocery stores in the Boston area. The specific products purchased and tested did not meet FDA regulations because they were not properly labeled and were adulterated with heavy metal contaminants. These products should never have made their way to any store shelf in the United States.

Himalaya USA is the sole authorized importer of products manufactured by The Himalaya Drug Company, which takes enormous care to produce herbal healthcare products to pharmaceutical grade standards, employing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and earning ISO 9001 certification for excellence in manufacturing.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare products are steeped in Ayurvedic traditions yet manufactured to conform to the strictest limits of purity and without the inclusion of heavy metals. Himalaya’s ISO 9001 certification has added to the world-class stature of its products used by consumers around the world and is clearly demonstrated by Liv.52® (LiverCare®) becoming the first herbal healthcare product recognized as an herbal drug in Switzerland.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare products are safe and effective. Consumers should look for the statement "Distributed by: Himalaya USA" to be guaranteed they are taking a quality herbal supplement.