grapefruit seed extract adulterated

[Guest guest]

Dear Ones;

Perhaps some of you have seen this posted on ayurveda, but as I

have it in the herbs notes as safe for pregnancy/some postpartum

uses, I'd like to formally take it off the list with this information.

Martha

 

hi merevita

 

as you might be able to tell from the abstracts i sent, the activity

of

grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is unrelated to the grapefruit seed

themselves, and is entirely related to the synthetic preservatives

contained within it

 

most GSE products on the market contain a patented product call

citracidal, and because it is patented they do not disclose how its

made or its ingredients: they simply say citracidal ®, a proprietary

grapefruit seed extract, with water and/or glycerin

 

when this issue of preservatives in the product have been pointed out

before, the manufacturers claim that the preservative benzethonium

hydrochloride in particular is some how formed naturally during

processing

 

not only is this highly unlikely, it is besides the point

 

1. a lot of natural ingredients start off as the substrate for making

synthetic drugs: this does not make them natural anymore than

Frankenstein

2. benzethonium chloride, also found as a disinfectant in many

cosmetics, is not approved for internal use

 

the other commonly found preservative, triclosan, is a pesticide that

is chemically related to dioxins, has been found in waste water,

accumulating in the tissues of ocean fish and has even been found in

human breast milk - its commonly found in 'antibacterial' soaps, and

is

speculated to be a factor in the emerging issue of antibiotic

resistance

 

 

> I went in the drugstore were i bought grape fruit extract to ask

about

> the antibiotic eventually contained in it.

> In that moment the sales representative of the house that produces

it,

> came in the shop.

> He told me that this is impossible for the reason that they are

> obliged to declare on the bottle all the elements that it contains.

> They are controlled.

> On the bottle it is written only grape fruit and glycerin.

 

if in fact the product does not contain the patented citracidal ®

ingredient found in GSE such as nutrabiotic , then it probably

does

not contain these preservatives

 

but then i am very sorry to say that the product has NO antimicrobial

activity whatsoever, and is manufactured by people that simply don't

understand the basic science, as is often the case in this industry

 

Ayurveda has used various Citrus species for thousands of years, and

yet i am not aware of one single reference to the usage of the seed as

an antimicrobial agent in infectious disease

Caldecott

todd@t...

www.toddcaldecott.com