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The healing properties of grapefruit seed extract
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Grapefruit seed extract, or GSE, is a relatively new product on the alternative health front. It was discovered in the 70's by Dr. Jacob Harich and can be used both internally and externally with no known toxicity.
According to one web site:
In the years since its discovery, grapefruit seed extract has been tested and validated by the FDA, USDA, the Pasteur Institute in France, and numerous physicians....The process converts the grapefruit bioflavonoids (polyphenolics) into an extremely potent compound that has been shown to be effective in treating hundreds of different organisms including: Shigella, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Giardia lamblia, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycobacterium species, Campylobacter, candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Proteus, Cholera, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Legionella pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Herpes1, Influenza A2, and measles virus. It has been know to help with osteoporosis. GSE has been shown to kill both gram-negative and gram-positive strains of bacteria GSE has been proven in laboratory tests to be 10 to 100 times more effective as a disinfectant than chlorine, colloidal silver, and iodine.
According to the another site::
GSE is broad spectrum. Even health-care professionals rarely know for sure the actual mix of germs that are causing disease. GSE, according to published sources, is effective against more than 800 bacterial and viral strains, 100 strains of fungus, as well as a large number of single-cell and multi-celled parasites.
GSE is powerful and effective. GSE is effective at very low concentrations. When using Citricidal® liquid concentrate in test-tube trials, most microbes are inhibited in the range of 2ppm to 1000 ppm(9 drops in a liter is 100ppm). During 1989-90, an international research team(reported in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 5, No. 3, USA, 1990) examined the effect of GSE on 770 strains of bacteria and 93 strains of fungus and compared this with 30 effective antibiotics and 18 proven fungicides. GSE was found to perform as well as any and all of the tested agents.
GSE is non-toxic. According to an independent laboratory testing "Acute Oral Toxicity", it would take at least 4,000 times the normal dose of gse to produce a 50% chance of poisoning(called LD50).
GSE does not weaken the immune system. Actually, the use of gse relieves the immune system of an enormous burden that no other single methodology has matched. And most, if not all, pharmaceuticals prescribed for treatment have deleterious side-effects of some kind.
GSE is from a natural source. Grapefruit is part of the normal food chain. And while gse concentrate has no measurable food value, it also has no toxic side-effects. Many of the synthetic chemicals have large numbers of known side-effects. And who really knows how many side-effects, short or long-term, could result from the combined exposure to synthetic compounds as found in pharmaceuticals and present-day food, air and water supplies?
GSE is cost-effective. A typical therapeutic dose of gse costs 10 cents or less. 50 cents per day would cover a maximum exposure for serious illness.
Doctors are overwhelmingly positive in their evaluation. Those doctors who have had adequate exposure to gse and experienced the results, that is. Doctors appreciate that GSE is broad spectrum and inexpensive, but also that patients tolerate it so well. Only patients with extreme allergy to citrus should begin treatment at very low dosages, where applicable.
This is obviously a very potent substance and yet it is not something that is readily used, partly because it does not have the historical background of other like substances such as tea tree oil.
If your companion has allergies that you are not being able to get under control, one of the theories is that it is actually a yeast imbalance. GSE will kill yeast in the intestines while not harming the good bacteria.
One of the thoughts on arthritis, especially RA, is that there are bacteria which are contributing to the condition, so GSE may well be helpful in alleviating some of the arthritic condition.
Each manufacturer varies the strength of the concentrate so it is best to follow the directions from the individual manufacturer. It is available as a liquid, capsula, tablet and powder. The liquid form can have a bitter taste to it which makes it ideal to use the diluted liquid as a topical spray on an injury that you do not want the animal to lick or chew. But it can also be purchased with the bitterness removed so it can be sprinkled on top of food for an internal issue.
It is great to have in a first aid kit for camping and hiking. Not only can it be used as an disinfectant for injuries that might be incurred on the trail, it can also be used to make water safe to drink. If your partner's favorite swimming hole is a known haven for giardia, a couple of servings of water that has been treated with the extract will kill off any virus that your dog might have swallowed while in the water.
For the most part you do not want to use this full strength (although there was one web site that mentioned putting a single full strength drop on a wart and then covering it with a bandage for wart removal). So be sure to check out the manufacturer's recommended dosage before using GSE.
If you have any condition that an antibiotic is suggested for treatment, GSE is worth trying out. It is not harmful, it is inexpensive and it has been proven to kill a lot of bacteria and viruses.
You can find links to much more information at Nutriteam, page 1 and page 2.
As always, the information given here is not intended to replace the advice given by your vet. It is intended to provide you with an education so that you can make an informed decision as to what is the best alternative for your companion.
If you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to know about anything in particular, please send an email to doni@donisdogs.com.
Compassion in Action - Doni's Dogs
www.donisdogs.com
To see a complete listing of my articles, please go to http://www.examiner.com/x-11706-Salt-Lake-Alternative-Pet-Health-Examiner
Today's Site
The National Humane Education Society was founded in 1948 by Anna C. Briggs. It's mission statement is "to foster a sentiment of kindness to animals in children and adults." On their web site you can find information about animal cruelty to domestic and farm animals as well as entertainment issues, research and wild life and exotic animals. In addition, they are a great resource for materials to help educate children on treating animals in a humane manner. There is even an area on their site for kids to go to and learn about different animals, their annual summer camp and an essay contest they sponsor. In a day when it seems more and more children are involved in animal cruelty, it is nice to have a resource where you can help educate children on animal welfare issues.
Links in this article:
http://grapefruitseedextractbenifits.wordpress.com/category/grapefruit-seed-extract-benifits/
http://www.nutriteam.com/4gse.htm
http://www.nutriteam.com/index2.html
http://www.nutriteam.com/gse.htm
Today's site:
http://www.nhes.org/
