Refreshing and uplifting, grapefruit – like all citrus oils – is the party animal of the essential oil world.
And given the zesty zing of fresh grapefruit, you’d expect that!
Let’s talk about the fresh fruit first, which is also jam-packed with benefits.
Eating grapefruit for brekkie is a dead giveaway that someone has decided to go on a diet. Don’t expect it to make weight dissolve, but grapefruit definitely is low in calories and has a low GI.
The ‘Grapefruit Diet’ study led by Dr Ken Fujioka at The Scripps Clinic found that half a fresh grapefruit eaten before meals was associated with improved insulin resistance.
Here are a bunch of non-diet related reasons to love fresh grapefruit:
- Excellent for hydrating, being full of electrolytes and over 90% water
- High in vitamin C and A, which combine with high hydration to help give the appearance of your skin a lovely glowing boost
- High in antioxidants to help counter daily assaults of pollution and normal daily wear and tear
- Great source of fibre
- High in potassium, lycopene and choline
- Often suggested for easing symptoms of a hangover (not that we’re encouraging you to get hungover in the first place!)
Whether you love the eye-watering tartness of grapefruit or give it a wide berth because the taste is too bitter for you, don’t let that stop you from tapping into the awesome benefits of the oil that comes from cold pressing its rind.
Grapefruit’s botanical name is Citrus paradisi. It was bred in the 1700s as a hybrid of Citrus maxima (pomelo) and Citrus sinensis (orange). Nowadays, maybe they’d call it something catchy like pomorange or orangelo. But the resulting fruit were donned ‘grapefruit’ because they grew in clusters like giant bunches of grapes. Not an overly inspired choice if you ask me, but a logical one.
Grapefruit essential oil sits alongside orange for extremely high levels of limonene, with both oils having around 85-95% of this valuable constituent. Research on the effects of limonene is fascinating reading next time you’re in the mood for some science.
Because grapefruit oil is expressed from the rind, it’s as vital as ever to ensure you’re choosing a top quality oil like those by Young Living, where the raw material is guaranteed to be top notch and free of pesticides and the like. All Young Living oils are guaranteed pure from seed to seal, unlike so many brands out there in the marketplace. You really do get what you pay for. You can check it out with your own eyes in this short video.
If you’re on a programme to better maintain your ideal weight, incorporating grapefruit essential oil can be wonderful for keeping up your spirits so you feel fresh and focused on your goals. Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
Here are great ways to add grapefruit essential oil to your every day:
- diffusing grapefruit essential oil is refreshing and uplifting for everyone throughout the home; alternate with Young Living Citrus Fresh™ essential oil blend which includes grapefruit and spearmint and is also beautiful for diffusing
- add to a good quality vegetable carrier oil like Young Living V6 Advanced Vegetable Oil Complex, olive or sweet almond oil as a daily routine to help invigorate areas like the buttocks, tummy and thighs. Young Living has a ready-made massage oil called Cel-Lite Magic which includes other helpful oils and is well worth trying. Note well: grapefruit is a photosensitive oil which means it can react when exposed to sunlight. When applying grapefruit oil to your skin anywhere, avoid any areas that will be exposed to sunlight within 24 hours
- add to your drinking water to help keep you feeling hydrated and energised. Note well: only ever add essential oils to food or drinks if the label indicates you can do so. Very few brands produce oils of the integrity and quality needed for this purpose and some oils should not be ingested regardless of quality
Perfectly happy with your weight? Then enjoy grapefruit essential oil simply for its energising and feel-good qualities. You don’t really need a reason, come to think of it!
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
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