October 07, 2005,  Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

A member who goes by MKW writes: "What I found that helps the gums is Grapefruit Seed Extract." Coincidentally, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is featured in an e-Alert this week (see Monday's "Fantastic Four" below).

When a member named Ani UK says she tried GSE in water and found it to be "disgusting," HSI Healthier Talk regular Leppert offers this guideline: "Ani, the dose for the Nutribiotic retail version of GSE is one drop in water or juice per 10 lbs body weight. I buy the Citricidal and that takes only one drop per 30 lbs. body weight 3-4 times a day. For the teeth one drop on the tooth brush is fine. There is no reason one cannot take GSE internally. Just make sure you have it in 4-6 ounces of water."

Leppert is correct about using GSE internally. In Monday's e-Alert HSI Panelist Jon Barron writes: "Internally grapefruit seed extract can help with gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, food poisoning, parasites (single and multi-celled), candida yeast infections, thrush, oral infections, colds and flu, sore throats, strep throat, and sinusitis." But Jon adds that GSE may increase the effect of some medications, so it should be taken with care.

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