- 1a Department of Primary Care Health Sciences , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK.
Abstract
The
aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for or
against the effectiveness of grapefruits (Citrus paradisi) on body
weight, blood pressure, and lipid profile. Electronic searches were
conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, and the Cochrane Clinical Trials
databases to identify relevant human randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
Hand searches of bibliographies were also conducted. Only overweight and
obese subjects were included. The reporting quality was assessed using
the CONSORT checklist, and the strength of the overall body of evidence
was rated based on the GRADE criteria. One hundred and fifty four
citations were identified and three RCTs with a total of 250
participants were included. The RCTs were of moderate quality. A
meta-analysis for change in body weight failed to reveal a significant
difference between grapefruits and controls, MD: -0.45 kg (95% CI: -1.06
to 0.16; I2 = 53%, but analysis revealed a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, MD: -2.43 mmHg (95% CI: -4.77 to -0.09; I2
= 0%). Paucity in the number of RCTs, short durations of interventions,
and lack of an established minimum effective dose limit the conclusions
that can be drawn about the effects of grapefruit on body weight and
metabolic parameters. Further clinical trials evaluating the effects of
grapefruit are warranted.
KEYWORDS:
Grapefruit; body composition; body weight; meta-analysis; randomized clinical trial
