About the Grapefruit Diet & Liver Problems

The grapefruit diet is a short-term, very low-calorie diet that promises rapid weight loss with a minimum of effort through the inclusion of copious consumption of grapefruit, a food that has purported "fat-burning" properties. While the grapefruit diet might work in the short term, it should not be used if you have any existing liver problems, as the diet's advice runs contrary to accepted medical dietary guidelines for dealing with liver issues.

Grapefruit Diet Layout

The grapefruit diet is designed to be followed for a period of 12 days, after which time you are instructed to take two days off before resuming the plan (if necessary). During the 12-day period, you are instructed to consume three main meals per day, with a light snack prior to bedtime. In addition to meals, you are also instructed to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water each day to flush your system.

Grapefruit Diet Meals

Breakfast consists of four ounces of grapefruit, eggs, and bacon. Lunch consists of four ounces of grapefruit, an unlimited portion of meat, and salad. Dinner consists of four ounces of grapefruit, an unlimited portion of meat, and an unlimited portion of vegetables. Before bed consume one glass of skim milk or one glass of tomato juice. While on the plan, you are allowed to consume any vegetables except white onions, celery, and potatoes.

Liver Diet

According to the experts at Medline Plus, individuals who are experiencing liver problems should abstain from eating excessive amounts of protein, as protein consumption places additional stress on the liver. Most calories should come from carbohydrates, with protein being limited to no more than one gram per kilogram of body weight (usually between 70 and 90 grams).

Grapefruit Diet Compared

When looking at the grapefruit diet compared to the recommendations for a healthy diet for someone with liver problems, it becomes apparent that the grapefruit diet allows for far too much protein. With unlimited servings of meat at both lunch and dinner, it is far too easy to overshoot your daily protein requirements. Additionally, the grapefruit diet is a fairly low-carb diet, which runs contrary to the recommendation to base a liver disease diet around mostly carbs.

Other Considerations

Note that the grapefruit diet is not a highly recommended plan. Both TheDietChannel.com and Everydiet.org consider it to be nothing more than a fad diet, and both highly recommend against following it for your dieting needs. Considering this, regardless of whether you have liver problems, you might want to shop around a bit more before considering the grapefruit diet.