I want to get something banned. A so called Healthy antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal ‘medicine’.
It is called Citricidal or GrapeFRUIT seed extract, which is gunge from the pips of grapefruits.
Not to be confused with Grape Seed extract which is Oil from the seeds of grapes.
We are talking about a grapefruit.
Or are we? Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract is effective at destroying bacteria, virus and fungii because of a drug or synthetic chemical used in its processing, not because of the grapefruit itself.
How do I know this? Because I have PROVED it.
The drug used in making grapefruit seed extract is used in agriculture for its antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties.
The gunge extracted from grapefruits that had been cold-pressed from organic grapefruits with no added drugs when tested under strict laboratory conditions in a lab grew bacteria, it did not kill it.
When I used it on my athlete’s foot fungal infection, the organic cold-pressed grapefruit extract made it worse.
The reason why I want to get it banned is two-fold.
1. It is a lie
2. Any drug company could take up the idea, shove some of the drug into a piece of fruit or vegetable and call it a healthy way of curing diabetes or whatever disease the drug has been designed to cure.
Citricidal is a drug and should not be allowed to be sold in Health Shops or any other health industry. It should not be allowed as a preservative in Health Products. Many health products sold in Health Shops have citricidal or grapefruit seed extract listed as a preservative.
Read about the laboratory testing and an email string from companies that sell Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract: Ban Citricidal
The synthetical chemical used is Benzethonium Chloride.
Here is what NIOSH say about that: Benzethonium Chloride
Check your Health Product’s Ingredient’s lists, if it contains Citricidal do not purchase, you are buying products saying healthy when in fact they contain a very nasty synthetic chemical.
It has been banned in Denmark now, only available as a topical product.. (which the health shop owner said i should just take as ususal with water) ..
According to the Association of Poison Control Centers, the AMA Physician Reporting System, and the Journal of Emergency Medicine, there have been no reports that Citricidal has ever harmed anyone. In fact, there are thousands of clinical and anecdotal reports that Citricidal has helped many, and enjoys a safety record going back more than 30 years.
The similarity in molecular weight between Citricidal and both Benzelkonium Chloride and Benzelthonium Chloride has wrongly influenced some (including drug and chemical manufacturers) to assert that Citricidal has been “spiked” with these poisons. (They are both powerful industrial disinfectants, and are even found in some consumer goods in the U.S.) But once again, independent lab tests, and a 30-year track record of safe use as a human therapeutic speak loudly against such slander.
ACS Publications
Benzethonium chloride is present at a concentration of 8.3% of the liquid GSE sample.
The European Commission’s present authorised use is as a preservative in rinse off products only at a maximum concentration of 0.1%
http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_risk/committees/sccp/documents/out158_en.pdf
From the website: United States Environmental Protection Agency: http://actor.epa.gov/actor/faces/ACToRHome.jsp
http://actor.epa.gov/actor/GenericChemicalPdfServlet;jsessionid=C84BC85AD3FAE493DFF0E7736384C1BC?casrn=121-54-0
The report:
The toxicology data: Toxic.
Health Impact: Suspected endocrine toxicant
Health Impact: Suspected skin or Sense Organ Toxicant
HTOX: Human Toxicity Excerpts: Highly toxic by ingestion – 1g may be fatal
While I doubt that there is 1 gram of benzethonium chloride in a 15ml bottle of grapefruit seed extract or in the advised dilution, who knows what the accumulate effect is when taking grapefruit seed extract regularly? Does the chemical stay in the body and would it build up in the body over time?
All reports I have read suggest that the product with benzethonium chloride should not be ingested and is only advised for topical use at percentages of 0.1 percent or lower and is not advised for oral use.
The illness I had – CFS/ME, is thought to be an endocrine illness. I used to take citricidal, did the citricidal cause my illness? No-one will ever know. This is why I have called for a ban of this product the toxicity data speaks volumes to me.
CFS/ME is a very difficult disease at the best of times. I’m sorry you had to go through that debilitating experience. At this point one can only guess the reasons the disease manifested in your system or whether it was bacterial, viral or fungal. What other medicine or remedies you used prior to or during, or was your liver able to metabolize these substances properly. To many unknowns to have confidence in laying blame on any one particular substance.
In the end, all I can really say is that my clients (myself included) who used and continue to use NutriBiotic Citricidal have had no problems with it.
Thank you for your kind concern. I apologise but I cannot agree with you and if I am to allow your comment to appear on my website I feel I need to address what you have stated for the sake of those who read this website.
I believe CFS/ME to be a toxic condition of the body not caused by a microbe. I have put a link here to my book which with references demonstrates my point.
The toxicity being due to stress, eating poorly compounding the problems with stress and/or food intolerance developing because of the stress and made worse by stress and the body getting into a state of malnutrition. I don’t think bacteria, virus or fungus infections are the cause, but may be the result of the stress and poor food choices.
So given this toxic condition of the body a product that can kill bacteria, virus and fungus may make one feel better, if these infections are growing and making one feel ill, killing or reducing the bacteria, virus or fungus is not addressing the cause. Ignoring what may be the cause increases the body’s need for the antimicrobial and an illness may be prolonged.
The long list of symptoms that result in the CFS/ME diagnosis when blood tests rule out anything else may over-look a possible condition – Lyme’s Disease. A complicated regime of antibiotics can eventually reduce the effect of the Lyme’s Disease and this may be what your clients are suffering from. However my advice is that they get themselves diagnosed before attempting to resolve a potential Lyme Disease infection.
However I do agree one cannot blame something for a disease without evidence. There appears to be a coincidence here in that there is some evidence to show that CFS/ME may be an endocrine imbalance and scientific evidence shows that benzethonium chloride imbalances the endocrine system. Yes the liver may not be metabolizing fully if the body isn’t fully nourished so better nutrition combined with a good quality natural supplement like milk thistle may help.
I do use anti-microbial products but with extreme caution including any prescribed to me by my GP. I prefer topical applications of colloidal silver or tea-tree. Any and all anti-microbial products will kill the good bacteria as well as the bad and should never be used regularly but sporadically when there is an obvious need and always with the advice of a Health Practitioner.
I wish you all the best and thank you for commenting on my website.
(PATENT US5425944 A)
A ground mixture (80:20 by weight) of dried grapefruit seeds and grapefruit pulp respectively is subjected to extraction using an equal amount by weight of glycerin. The resulting extract is an effective bactericide, fungicide, and virucide, and is expected to be particularly effective in the treatment of HIV infections.
According to this patent there aren’t any chemicals added as preservatives. And if you’re worried about it make your own extract. I don’t see why it would be necessary to add a preservative to something that contains over 16% ascorbic acid. You may be correct, but with a little effort you can definitely make your own extract without the concerns of commercially prepared extracts. Again, Benzethonium Chloride is not mentioned anywhere in the patent nor is the word preservative.
Marianne Gutierrez has added an edit to this: Benzethonium Chloride does not have to be mentioned if it is under 10 ppm according to the Codex Standard set up by the World Health Organisation. Ascorbic acid is synthetic vitamin c and while this boosts the immune system and in extremely high concentration in a test tube (apparently) can kill the HIV virus, this form kills good and bad bacteria. You will read in the comments at the start of the article that I did buy an organic chemical free cold pressed grapefruit seed extract and applied it to an athlete’s foot infection and it got worse. I had the organic cold-pressed chemical free grapefruit seed extract tested and it grew bacteria instead of killing it. You can see the slides of this on my website.
Dear people,
the grapefruit seed extract has been discovered by Dr Harich. His way of producing GSE has neither to do with cold pressed anything, nor with Benzethonium Chloride. It is – however- rather difficult to obtain this original formula, as the usual rat race for profit is in full swing and all kinds of manufacturers claim to produce after Dr. Harich.
Here is the patented (PATENT US5425944 A) procedure:
a. separating the seed and pulp of tree-ripened grapefruit;
b. drying the seed and pulp for 24-48 hours at a temperature in the range of 150.degree.-200.degree. C.;
c. mixing the dried seed and pulp at a ratio of 80:20 seed/pulp by weight;
d. grinding said see/pulp mixture in a hammermill to small particles;
e. testing said mixture for the presence of pesticides and removing all pesticide contaminated particles from said mixture;
f. placing a glycerin solution in an extraction chamber;
g. heating said glycerin solution to a temperature of at least approximately 150.degree. C.;
h. fixing a mesh container inside said extraction chamber, said mesh container including an amount of seed/pulp mixture equal in weight to said glycerin solution;
i. circulating said glycerin solution through said extraction chamber and through an external ultraviolet system and magnetic system to stabilize said reaction product and remove ferromagnetic constituents therefrom;
j. continuing step (i) at 150.degree. C. for 3-4 hours;
k. reducing the temperature of said solution to approximately 60.degree. C. and increasing the hydraulic pressure in said chamber to a range of 2500-3000 lbs.;
l. separating the resulting syrup from the residue;
m. passing the syrup through a force filter system having a 300-350 mesh nylon filter to obtain a heavy viscous lemon yellow liquid having a pH in the range of 2.5-3.0.
Hi marianne, I had the recommended dose of the higher nature citric ideal product two days ago and since then it has felt like an area inside my throat is being melted by it… Do you have any info on this. Hope you do. Thank you
I have just checked the product on the Higher Nature website. It says never use undiluted. It also contains ascorbic acid – a product I can’t tolerate that causes my skin to feel like it is burning. Therefore it may be the ascorbic acid that the product contains causing your discomfort than the product itself. This site has good info: http://drlwilson.com/articles/Immunity.htm
thank you marianne. for the burning throat i used echinacea in tincture form from neals yard worked really well and also organic rainbow chard worked really well with it. sugar awful, cannabis cbd oil didnt work either which for me is like a first. basically everytime i get an itch i put cbd oil on it and whatever it was disapears instantly… not for this im afraid.
Hi Orin, another thought occurs to me. If this is a regular occurrence (burning throat) then you may need a regular neck and shoulder massage that involves neck and throat stretches to loosen tight muscles that may be reducing the flow of lubricating fluids for the mucus membranes. Your diet may need looking at to check what good oils and good fats you are consuming that help to keep the body healthy. If you want to know more about this google this website: The Weston A Price Foundation.
That is such good news that Denmark has BANNED grapefruit seed extract (Citricidal). Excellent work Denmark!
I’ve used it while travelling in India and it has killed athletes foot and numerous stomach problems i have had.
Thank you for your comment John.
Yes the chemical in it certainly does kill everything.
I certainly admire and respect your desire to have only truly healthy products/materials in use by those in need, however, my research and use of quality GSE materials does not indicate that you are correct in your assessment regarding same. The confusion over GSE possibly containing one or more toxic quaternary compounds is based upon incomplete understandings, apparently, of the similarities between GSE’s essential components and the toxic quats’ structure, which indeed are similar, but not the same. Additionally, simple cold pressed extracts of grapefruit parts do not produce the same material as that in GSE’s more complex production methodologies. So, stating that you’ve “PROVEN” your theory after using “cold pressed grapefruit extract” doesn’t reflect a very serious knowledge of scientific testing and evaluation protocol. Indeed, however, I (and many other consultants in this field) have used GSE’s and recommended same for years, with never anything but good results, except for the occasional “bad taste” complaint. Be careful “what you wish for”, as in “wanting to have GSE banned”, etc., when, indeed, you may be trying to “ban” something quite by mistaken bias that can end up eliminating another seriously useful nutraceutical, at the expense of many who rely upon same for their very survival.
I agree with this poster. Marianne, your article is inaccurate and very misleading and should be retracted.
Basically you are admitting that Grapefruit Seed Extract contains a toxic substance but say there are no reported side-effects and that because it seems to benefit people to shut up about it containing a toxic chemical?
Firstly there are other safe anti-microbials – colloidal silver or essential oils like Tea-tree. That can be used by the individual or in products as a preservative.
Secondly the public deserves to be able to make informed choices and allowing the individual to assume that Grapefruit Seed Extract is natural denies them their right to choose between natural and synthetic.
If you think GSE is toxic wait till you see the facts about silver. It is such a strong disinfectant that it will kill all bacteria and aquatic organisms at lethal concentrations. It is widely used in the waste water industry to disinfect waste water. How then can it be less toxic than GSE? Facts is both substances are toxic which is why we use them. It is about a finding the right dosage to use so that it continues to be beneficial and not become a poison. I have taken both silver and GSE and I know the silver hurts my kidneys and liver for a few days afterward. GSE does not. GSE also helps fight candida and I will not ingest a heavy metal for more than a few days as I would be worried about toxicity. I also know how easy it is to contaminate a sample and get false positive results from testing for bacteria or coliforms. Sorry but I am sticking to the GSE – I read the material safety data sheet and nothing on it worried me one bit. However thank you for alerting me to this and I will continue to keep an eye on things.
Actually your attitude is not good. I have just published a link to another horror story about synthetic chemicals – Fluoride deception.
You say that the non cold pressed grapefruit seed extract has only good results? How on earth can that be proved without clinical trials? And I have to wonder what caused the CFS/ME I suffer with, was it the citricidal I used to use?
And how can you boast of good results for the grapefruit seed extract with no anecdotal evidence let alone clinical trials and knock my laboratory testing and observances of the difference between organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract and your grapefruit seed extract with toxic quaternary compounds?
I have used grapefruit seed extract for 3 months due to CFS chronic systemic infections(mycoplasma, candida,etc) and apart from the herx symptoms(die off of bugs) i have never felt better, and i have tried colloidal silver, olive leaf,etc and they didnt do much…so i encourage people who have chronic infections to try it, its fantastic!!!! MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT!
Thank you Angela for your view. That of course is the point: the individual must make up their own minds. Medicinal drugs are preferred by some because they are stronger and work quicker in the body so providing more immediate relief. Natural products like the olive leaf and colloidal silver may take longer to work. If you are using colloidal silver take 3 teaspoons of silver 3 times a day for 3 days to kill an infection and top up with one teaspoon 3 times a day for a further 3 days. Unfortunately citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is masqueraded as a natural product and I think I have shown now in this article that it isn’t. As far as CFS/ME is concerned I do feel there is a toxic overload and this is probably why an antibiotic product helps some symptoms. I have found a charcoal supplement very helpful as this drives toxins out of the body even mercury apparently. Olive leaf powder helps with parasites. Colloidal silver fights virus and fungus and bacteria so a very useful product. And tea tree and olive oil is good on the skin on a daily basis. Essential oils (tea tree is an essential oil) when applied to the skin in a medium such as olive oil have been found in the blood stream 12 hours later. So applying tea tree in olive oil to the skin may help with infections.
Omega 3 fish oils as do other fruit and seed oils, ie olive oil, also help support the gut to an over-production of candida and maintains the gut environment, keeping it healthy.
Changing the diet and avoiding foods that may cause pathogens means you possibly won’t have to take an anti-biotic product in the first place.
I disagree with everything you say about this product.
My life or my husbands would not be the same without grapefruit seed oil. I stumbled on it by chance and it has transformed my health. I will never be without it from now on.
Look don’t shoot the messenger! If you want to take this substance so be it! Here is the toxic data about Benzethonium Chloride: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0387.html and there are two ways of looking at the problem.
1. Is there still presence of this toxic compound in the grapefruit seed pulp once it has been in contact with Benzethonium Chloride and after processing? If not maybe the toxic data doesn’t count as far as ingesting grapefruit seed extract.
2. The NIOSH weblink above providing the toxic data shows that Benzethonium Chloride is very toxic to the environment and by purchasing products that uses this compound, the consumer and those who sell the products are encouraging this environmental hazard.
I agree with you about feeling better after taking grapefruit seed extract. I nearly wept with disappointment when I discovered the nasty chemical that was used. I thought it was a natural product. I often felt nauseous and grapefruit seed extract sorted that immediately. But I was masking the cause by ‘curing’ it with grapefruit seed extract. The cause of my nausea was foods with sulphites and since stopping those I feel very well.
“When I used it on my athlete’s foot fungal infection, the organic cold-pressed grapefruit extract made it worse.”
How then, can you now change your story and say that “I agree with you about feeling better after taking grapefruit seed extract”?
It sounds like you haven’t really done any research or experimentation and are going off claims you may have heard elsewhere to write this blog post.
Clearly you have not read the all the articles or all my comments on this.
Grapefruit Seed Extract does work – but it is not the grapefruit seed doing the curing but the chemical used; the chemical is known for its anti-microbial properties. When I used organic cold pressed grapefruit seed it did not work as you have quoted.
I have not changed my story. One does feel better when killing off a microbe that is making one feel ill, the objection is to the product being advertised as natural when it is not.
I use the Citricidal tablets when I feel a candida imbalance – and the tablets seem to work. However, I’ve now read the comments on here, and unless I’m mistaken, I’ve not noticed where anyone has offered an alternative to Citricidal – or a ‘natural’ grapefruit seed extract. So could we cut through all the pros and cons, and just state what you feel we should use instead? So, Ms Marianne Gutierrez what do you recommend? Your response would be hugely appreciated.
Hi Simon
I use Colloidal Silver. You can get it from http://www.ukcolloidalsilver.co.uk/?gclid=COGf_q-UlKkCFQoa4Qod8WaydQ
I have mentioned this before as a substitute for grapefruit seed extract but that article is possibly buried deep within the bowels. I also use tea-tree and olive oil (olive oil and olive leaf have anti-parasitic qualities) on my skin. When I feel ‘yeasty’ from eating sugar. (I make an eton mess type of pudding – loads of sugar!! But nice and only once in a while . . . honest!)
But the problem with using citricidal/grapefruit seed extract is that a lot of people may be masking what is really wrong.
Candida is a natural component of our gut and we need it, so we shouldn’t kill it. It is controlled naturally by good bacteria. Good bacteria is made in our gut by eating fruit and vegetables. It proliferates when too much sugar or refined flours are consumed.
Most illnesses can be solved by a healthy diet (ref: The China Study by T Colin Campbell with Thomas M Campbell 1934 – 2004)
Symptoms of a candida overgrowth are not pleasant to see or smell and indicate a very, very poor diet. In this case I used tea-tree and olive oil in a blend with lavender on the skin and asked the patient to stop eating sugar and anything with sugar in. The following week she was so much better and was sleeping better too.
Changing my diet (avoiding added sulphites, additives and my personal allergens) and introducing a calcium and magnesium supplement, The Perrin Technique (straightened out) by a Perrin Practitioner and continued maintenance with my own Tone and Stretch routine all help me to continued wellness.
Im sorry, but you are clearly not in the position of understanding what you are talking about, as someone who has had CFS for 25 years (has been bed ridden for past 8 months) and has within the last month discovered citricidal and the enormous benefit that it has had in my life, it turns out my candida problem responds to almost nothing bar GFSE, and as for a healthy diet restoring the normal balance – well thats just bunkum, after having a perfect diet for the last month – last week I ate some potato’s – the next 3 days were utter hell due to the candida growing like MAD, did you know candida doubles its population every 3 hours in the right conditions ?? Granted the last 8 months have been due to swineflu bronchiticsantibiotics – but your suggestion of using olive leaf extract, silver for a serious candida infection is a dangerous one. GFSE seems to mostly be used for anti parasitefungal and at this seems much more potent than either olive leaf or caprillic acid.
For reference – bacterial infections I always use raw garlic, zinc, 1g vitc, works wonders, for viral – echineaforce, zinc, 1g vit c every 4 hours for both.
At the moment my regime consists of fivelac,citricidal,oxygen elements max and this is restoring my health as long as I forgo any carbs of any type for the moment.
Hope you can understand the position of someone who has lived through the utter hell of this and has found extreme benefit from citricidal, I am also very chemically sensitive and also now practice some energy based testing, both of which would have indicated a strong reaction if there was an harmful chemical within GFSE.
regards
Hi John
I am so sorry you have been so ill. I have never suggested that Citricidal does not work as far as its antimicrobial properties are concerned. I used to use it. It is antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal.
I was shocked when I discovered the agricultural chemical used in the producing of citricidal and then the knowledge of the lack of microbial activity in organic cold pressed grapefruit seeds.
I wanted others to know this so that they could be discerning on what they chose to use. I feel it is deceitful of health food companies to advertise it as a natural product. It is a bit like putting paracetamol into an apple and selling the apple as a natural painkiller.
The trouble with using antibiotic substances whether natural or not is that the antimicrobial substance kills all good and bad bacteria. So in effect you may re-creating your condition and making the candida worse.
So one does need to be careful and I do wonder if the use of the relatively cheap and easy to use Citricidal masks what really is wrong in the body.
Candida is what some people use Citricidal for and using Citridical will kill the good bacteria as well and this good bacteria is what keeps the bad and yeasts like candida in check. So if someone has a really bad candida growth a short term use of an antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal product may be advised. But after that the good bacteria needs to be fed with good food to supply an environment in which they can thrive and therefore keep the bad bacteria, yeasts and candida in check.
Toxic overload has similar symptoms to candida and many conditions. Toxic overload can come from food intolerances, stress and an inability of the body to detoxify due to conditions of the gut, kidneys, liver, lymphatics, circulation not just consuming sugary foods or ingesting [synthetic] chemicals.
Not every one who is chemically sensitive has to avoid all [synthetic] chemicals. For example you can tolerate the antibiotics your GP recently prescribed to you for your flu/bronchitis, so you may be able to tolerate Benzethonium Chloride that is in Grapefruit Seed extract.
I am chemically sensitive but can tolerate sodium nitrates in bacon and ham.
One thing you may like to try is Activated Charcoal powder (in capsule form not tablet). This is an old fashioned remedy still in use today to aid the removal of toxins from the body.
Then you need to eat a good diet of foods with as few pesticides and additives as possible so freshly grown from a local source would be good and avoid all manufactured foods from bread to tinned soup to frozen vegetables.
You may also like to investigate the possibility of food intolerance through hair analysis testing or blood testing. Look at these websites: http://www.testyourintolerance.com/ and http://www.yorktest.com/en/food-intolerance-choices/?gclid=CMaXhsn-56kCFcEd4QodiHejWw
I hope all this helps you and thank you for commenting on my website.
with kind regards
Marianne
Have you seen this recommended daily intake? I think it could be dangerous..
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=citricidal&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1682738249760256000&sa=X&ei=NCwUTpXhMtKxhQfLg5HEDQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwAQ
I think it means 4 and one half drops which is a bizarre amount, 1 to 3 times a day. The recommended amount was always 15 drops in a glass of water or fruit juice. Yes well, as you realise, any amount of this stuff is dangerous, I think. See the toxicity report in the article above.
I’m not sure how you can say, “That of course is the point: the individual must make up their own minds, ” in regard to GFSE. How is an individual to make up their own mind if the product is banned as you suggest???
It has been a life-changer for me. I have a close friend who has found tremendous help from colloidal silver (for a different health problem than my own). But you can also find a lot of information out there that advises against the use of colloidal silver. Sounds like a good thing for you that they didn’t push to have that product banned, too.
Well spotted Janelle, if the product is banned, then no-one can make a choice.
I know Citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is popular. It is more prevalent than you perhaps realise and is the ‘preservative’ in many ‘natural’ shampoos and body moisturisers.
There are suggestions ‘out there’ that colloidal silver can cause one to go blue, but it suggests you would have to consume enormous amounts of sliver for years and even then it might not happen and if it did, the only problem with being blue is just that, looking a funny colour. The YouTube ‘Blue Man’ is a hoax and on that hoax it is suggesting that the consumption of silver is huge. It is a joke against all those who go on about things that are good for you.
Anything one consumes in too higher a dose can make one ill. But in the right doses can be supportive.
Silver is a natural component of the soil. Grapefruit seed extract is not natural. I prefer natural.
I try very hard not to use antibiotic substances synthetic or natural. Antibiotic substances kill good bacteria too. So I avoid that. But in cases of infection I use tea-tree on my skin and spray colloidal silver in my throat for an infection. It works so well. Then I eat plenty of fruit and veg to restore the gut flora. Kiwis are good for this: http://www.xtend-life.com/product/Digesten_K_Digestive_Supplement.aspx
I hope this clarifies the Citricidal argument along with all the other information I have put here.
Take care
Hi,
Personally I don’t go anywhere without Citricidal. I saw your web page but then found another http://www.naturalingredient.org/GSE_Interview.html I found it interesting that you would have to take bucket loads to cause problems. I seem to remember someone dying from eating a cupful of apple pips. But who would attempt to ban apples? Some 48 years ago I obtained amazing results for ulcerative colitis from comfrey tablets. They have now been banned, they are deemed carcinagenic. But how many would one have to consume I wonder for that to be true? Do we not breathe in and eat more potentially harmful chemicals every day?
Hi Dee
Thank you for commenting on my website.
I do agree with you, we are consuming more chemicals than we realise. I remember reading somewhere that women can put on as many as 600 different chemicals when they get ready for the day in shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, face products, make-up, deodorant, perfume. My article to get Citricidal banned was labelled so to get attention. What was irritating me with the stuff was that I had been hoodwinked into believing it was natural and at the time I had a health issue and I was trying to reduce chemicals to nil.
Now I try not to take any antimicrobial substances as the end result of them is an upset gut whether a natural product is used or not. At the time of consuming Citricidal – (Higher Nature a popular Vitamin and Supplement company sell it; a company I still use, and, decades ago, believed they only sold natural products)
I was trying to aid a constant sensation of nausea. It did help. But I have discovered since then that the nausea was caused by food additives. My gut became ultra sensitive and it has taken a long time to reverse what I consider to be the damage caused by taking antimicrobial substances. Yes an antimicrobial substance is useful in the case of severe discomfort and illness but it must be fully understood that natural or not, antimicrobial substances upset the gut – long term. This was many, many years ago and I have come a long way since then.
There are two aspects here: We should not be consuming an antimicrobial product ad lib, it is very bad for health. And we should not be encouraging the use of toxic chemicals that destroy the fauna and flora of our environment.
Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract is a chemical because it has been denatured with toxic substances. What shocks me is that some highly bone fide ‘health’ and ‘natural is best’ companies use it as a preservative in their products.
I repeat again, anything natural or not, can be bad for one in very high doses, but unless we are fully informed of what is in products how can we knowingly make the natural choice? Thank you for the link to the Natural Ingredients website.
The problem is alot if not most “health food products” are unproven. Even the best medicines that ARE proven are only proven to a degree of a small majority and we ignore the negative health implications of taking those.
What if the citricidal cured MS but shortened your life by 10 years would that still be bad? Would you call for it to be banned? I am sure there are many MS sufferers that would take it in a shot.
I wouldn’t be so quick to knock peoples positive responses on here. I for one would like to read more information from them. What it did for them? How long did it take? Any issues with it etc?
I also read about Threelac alot. Some claim it to have changed their life and some blame it for putting them in hospital. Thats non regulated products for you.
um i must point out that is states citrisidal should not be used on broken skin(athletes foot usually breaks skin) and also that it is not formfungal infections or to be taken if you suspect candida ,maybe you should read up the facts before getting on the bandwagon, myself and my child have had nothing but positive health benefits from using this, so i would hate to see it banned, that is my opinion anyway
Hi Emma,
Thank you for reading my website and thank you for your comments.
The national candida society does not suggest citrocidal or grapefruit seed extract SHOULD be used, and it does have other products that may help.
http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/grapefruit_seed_extract.html offers the views I have about grapefruit seed extract.
http://www.pureliquidgold.com/candida-diet.htm makers of grapefruit seed extract advise its use alongside a special diet.
Wherever I look on the web, the sites suggests that grapefruit seed extract is antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal but without evidence that there is scientific evidence that the grapefruit seeds themselves have these properties.
In the days long gone when I used grapefruit seed extract, I used it diluted and on unbroken skin. My athlete’s foot when I used the extract was on the itch stage of athlete’s foot and before the skin was broken. Neither the proprietary blend or organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract cleared up my athlete’s foot.
I hope this clears up some confusions here.
If you have symptoms where you feel the need to use an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal product you are strongly advised to see your GP for a professional diagnosis.
mine contains only grapefruit seed extract and vegetable glycerine, , beware a lot of info found on the net is scaremongering by big pharma companies, they are trying their hardest to banish all natural, herbal “alternative” remedies 🙁
Wow… that’s sad to see, but all this really is… it’s the advertisement for colloidal silver.
You make me smile!
I don’t sell colloidal silver so why would I be promoting it?
If you read further you will read that I don’t advise the use of any antibiotic whether it is colloidal silver or medicine.
I smile because many people don’t realise the money that pushes the advertising and the research that is sometimes flawed in order to promote the product.
Everything written here on this website is born from a desire to be healthier.
Thank you for your comment!
From reading the comments posted here it seems that many people are missing the point of this piece. As I understand it, Ms. Gutierrez has a problem with the branding of Grapefruit Seed Extract or Citricidal as a natural supplement and a natural preservative for other products when it would appear that it contains synthetic substances.
Now, not only does she claim that the contents are partially synthetic, but that the active ingredient itself – the ingredient responsible for the benefits experienced by the people commenting – is Benzethonium Chloride, a synthetic chemical.
If this is true, then the grapefruit seed extract is nothing but an inert vehicle for the synthetic chemical, and what you’re taking for your illness is a synthetic drug – not a natural remedy. In health shops we are led to believe this is not the case, and that is what I understand Ms. Gutierrez to have a problem with.
The question then becomes about the accuracy of Ms. Gutierrez’s findings. If she has in fact proved that Citricidal as a consumable product contains Benzethonium Chloride, then I would agree that the product no longer has a place in our health shops.
Arguments about the efficacy of Citricidal as a treatment for various illnesses are beside the point, as far as I can see – but I believe the discussion has taken this direction because of the quite sensational (rather than carefully worded) title.
I greatly appreciate all the info, both for and against. It provides food for thought….. although in this case not completely natural food for thought. 🙂
It’s possible that not all of these comments are genuine. I can’t help but get the impression Citricidal planted at least one of the negative comments here – to turn the tide of opinion and protect their internet reputation.
That kind of activity does get seen on the web, and seeing as this blog is the fourth (fourth!) website listed when I google ‘citricidal grapefruit seed extract’, your blog is quite a threat to their internet sales. I’ve certainly been put off buying the product!
I agree with Marianne that all ingredients should be published so that the consumer knows what they are buying.
I came across this blog when looking for a site to buy Citricidal.
I used to use the product some 10 years ago when it was recommended by a homeopath for my allergies. It gave very good results and even cleared my skin from the occasional acne flare up.
It is an interesting and concerning topic, one that I would never have known about had Marianne not brought it to public attention. We can all make a more informed choice as a result.
For me personally, it has not put me off trying it again as my allergies have taken a turn for the worse lately. I just put my faith (maybe naively) in the authorities not allowing a product to be sold for all these years if it was dangerous.
The ingredients on the Citricidal that I use are: Vegetable glycerine, Citricidal Grapefruit Seed Extract 34% (contains grapefruit extractives, glycerine, antioxidants: ascorbic acid).
Are you saying that this product contains Benzethonium Chloride because of the way it was produced? But not enough for it to constitute an ingredient? And that is why it is effective? Thanks.
Hi Kelly
This is where I originally (back in 2006) got my information from: http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutgse.html they say:
“Further, the USDA did a grapefruit seed extract study (full text here (pdf)) and declared, “Confirming an earlier study by researchers in Germany we found that some commercial grapefruit seed extracts contain benzethonium chloride, a synthetic antimicrobial agent commonly used in cosmetics and only approved for topical use, at relatively high levels of 8%.
The Swiss Toxicological Information Center of Basel, Switzerland, reports that “Grapefruit seed extracts containing benzethonium chloride in concentrations of 7-11% represent a major health risk if larger amounts of a concentrated solution are ingested (i.e. by mouth). Exposure of the skin or the eye may cause toxic symptoms. The Swiss Toxicological Information Center discourages consumers from administration of these extracts unless it is known which of them are containing benzethonium chloride and what the concentrations are.” ””
When you click on the link in their text, the introduction on the pdf states: Commercial grapefruit seed extracts (GSE) were extracted with chloroform. The solvent was evaporated, and the resulting solid was subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and elemental analysis (by proton-induced X-ray emission [PIXE] analysis). The main constituent was identified as benzethonium chloride, a synthetic antimicrobial agent commonly used in cosmetics and other topical applications. This compound comprised 8.03% (n ) 2) of the liquid GSE sample. Higher amounts of benzethonium chloride were found in powder GSE samples.
I cannot tell you how much of the Benzethonium Chloride is in Citricidal or grapefruit seed extracts or what anti-microbial is used nowadays.
All I do know is that the seeds from organically grown grapefruits that were cold-pressed to obtain the pulp from inside the seed did not have an anti-microbial effect and in a test in a professional lab, actually grew bacteria and yeasts.
I hope this helps. Best wishes, Marianne
So…I understand you are recommending colloidal silver. I did google it and this is what came up!
Its from Mayo clinic..so I assume they know what they are talking about!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colloidal-silver/AN01682
Question
Colloidal silver: Is it safe or effective?
My dad takes colloidal silver for his health, but is it safe?
Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Colloidal silver isn’t considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Silver has no known purpose in the body. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim.
Colloidal silver products are made of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid — the same type of precious metal used in jewelry, dental fillings, silverware and other consumer goods. Colloidal silver products are usually marketed as dietary supplements that are taken by mouth. Colloidal silver products also come in forms to be injected or applied to the skin.
Manufacturers of colloidal silver products often claim that they are cure-alls, boosting your immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, and treating cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, eye ailments and prostatitis. However, no sound scientific studies to evaluate these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has taken action against some manufacturers of colloidal silver products for making unproven health claims.
It’s not clear how much colloidal silver may be harmful, but it can build up in your body’s tissues over months or years. Most commonly, this results in argyria (ahr-JIR-e-uh), a blue-gray discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails and gums. While argyria doesn’t pose a serious health problem, it can be a cosmetic concern because it doesn’t go away when you stop taking silver products.
Rarely, excessive doses of colloidal silver can cause possibly irreversible serious health problems, including kidney damage and neurological problems such as seizures. Colloidal silver products may also interact with medications, including penicillamine, quinolone, tetracycline and thyroxine medications.
Hi Bala
Thank you for pointing this out to me. I used colloidal silver trusting the recommendations and research of the reputable company I bought it from.
There is no doubt that silver is an effective topical antimicrobial product. The Mayo Clinic seem to be more cautious but The Harvard Medical school and Pubmed say something a little different.
See this link to an article from Harvard Medical School:
“Silver has several uses in conventional medicine. Silver sulfadiazine is used to treat serious burns. Fabric impregnated with silver is sometimes used as a dressing for wounds or skin infections. And silver nitrate is occasionally used to treat warts and corns.”
And this abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1742-481X.2007.00316.x/abstract “Results showed all silver dressings and topical antimicrobials displayed antimicrobial activity. Silver-containing dressings with the highest concentrations of silver exhibited the strongest bacterial inhibitive properties. ”
I have used it on myself to good effect on: styes, eye infections, athlete’s foot, rashes, cuts, sore throats.
One person in her dissertation said that silver nanoparticles showed neurological toxicity but she was talking about developmental toxicity [meaning in developing young] Silver would not be recommended for babies for example. “Silver nanoparticles (AgNP; many other names such as nanosilver and colloidal silver) have already been used in everyday consumer products requiring broad spectrum antibiotic performance because of their enormous surface area and reactivity. Faunce and Watal [1] recently have critically analyzed the international regulatory issues for medical and domestic use in USA, EU, UK, and Australia. They found that in spite of the fact numerous studies have been made in the past decades, but many scientists are still uncertain of its safety. Very recently, Powers mentioned in her dissertation that her results showed positive that Ag+ and AgNP are developmental neurotoxicants in vitro and in vivo [2]. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a study to identify a global landscape of AgNPs and their products, and their manufacturers.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22023078?dopt=AbstractPlus
As I have said before no-one should ingest an antibiotic substance over a long period of time. I have ingested colloidal silver 3 x 1 teaspoon 3 times a day for 3 days for an infection (viral) and did feel better. And I would not take any more than that, in fact I have not used colloidal silver for over a year now and can’t remember the last time I did use it.
It may eventually be proved to be like all substances used to help heal – digitalis for example for heart conditions – OK in small doses and toxic in large. Digitalis is from fox gloves and foxgloves are poisonous in large doses.
It is odd really when you read all the comments here on this website on Citricidal, which can only have it antimicrobial affect from the chemical used in its manufacture which is toxic to plants and animals.
But even so if research is now demonstrating toxicity to ingesting colloidal silver, then DO NOT INGEST COLLOIDAL SILVER!
This site does strongly advise that the reader does their own research to make up their own minds.
Well, if the labs were correct… You would be too.
My own research shows that the compounds that were identified in Germany and Europe were in products other than citricidel.
In fact it is not available in Europe or Japan and as such was never tested.
The FDA however found nothing!
The FDA also says it’s ineffective.
I don’t trust the FDA.
I also don’t agree with you at all. Do more research before you get up on a soapbox. I’m sorry your feet itch but try getting a real overgrowth!! You will be sucking on gse and praying some idiot doesn’t try and get it banned.
Do more research.
Better research.
Thank you.
My feet don’t itch thank you and haven’t for years ever since I stopped using grapefruit seed extract and used tea-tree and used natural products for cleansing.
So let me get this clear, are you saying that the labs, the FDA, Europe are wrong?
That is quite a statement! Where is your research to back up that statement?
Another reason for getting athlete’s foot and skin infections are the cleansing products used that have adverse effects on the natural barriers of the skin, so that the natural protection of the skin is reduced.
Using an unnatural product to solve the problems caused by other unnatural products could be argued to be the cause of many health problems.
Thank you for taking time out to comment on my website and here is a recipe that may really cure your overgrowth. If you can tolerate tea-tree then use it neat direct on the itchy area, it will sting but tea-tree also has an analgesic action and so will help the sting sensation. Use it every day for 3 – 5 days. When the itch has gone, then apply extra virgin olive oil 5 mls and one drop of tea-tree and thoroughly moisturise the area with this solution. This will help prevent future attacks. If you cannot tolerate tea-tree, then spray with colloidal silver every day for 3 – 5 days. Then use extra virgin olive oil as a moisturiser to protect the area and strengthen the skin against future attacks.
Images of the result of bacterial and fungal overgrowth when using organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract to be published soon.
This is what they say on the Nutriteam website http://www.nutriteam.com/citricidal.htm :
Citricidal® is synthesized from the polyphenolic compounds found in grapefruit seed and pulp. Numerous reactions are involved, including distillation, catalytic conversion, and ammoniation. The active component of Citricidal is a quaternary ammonium chloride(a diphenol hydroxybenzene reacted with ammonium chloride) similiar to benzethonium chloride when analysed in accordance with USP XXII/NF XVII. (Benz. Chloride is a powerful germical agent, but is highly toxic to all animal life. See info on toxicity, below)
You can read a lto more info about their product on their website. So is it possible that you have misunderstood, and is it possible that banning things won’t help? What you really should request banning of are all those big pharma drugs out there then, don’t oyu think? And don’t you think your focus is a little biased from your own preferences?
Studies that conclude a herbal remedy is not safe is sponsored by – who else – the drug companies. Many drug company executives have been arrested for altering a study to yield the desired results, that a herbal remedy is not safe or effective. Why? Because if we all used naturopathic medicine, the drug companies would lose money. There are also millions of dollars spent on supressing natural remedies from the public – and corrupted studies to brainwash us. Major government agencies are not innocent in this, either.
I know this, because I know someone who used to work for the cancer industry. She went to doctor’s offices to inform them when new drugs came out. She quit when she started seeing that when there was a safety concern with the new drug, the drug company executives gave her orders not to mention the safety concern to the doctors! She quit and became a naturopath.
I would like to thank you for posting this information. I have taken GFSE on/off for a few years. First it was to combat a wicked case of ringworm back in college, more recently to battle candida. It seems most of who have commented are not in agreement with you and your warning against GFSE….. When I was using it for a topical ringworm treatment, my skin became very irritated, almost like a very bad sunburn. I usually only added a few drops to bath water, so it was no where near dangerous in concentration. I was warned to dilute it more, but eventually had to stop using it, even at minimal concentrations, because of the irritation. I finally cleared up the ringworm with natural medicines.
Years went by since, but over the past 3-4 years, I have been having intestinal issues and have been diagnosed with candida. One reason or another I came back to that damned white little bottle promising me relief. GFSE seems to help my intestines feel better, but I always develop a curious side effect. What you ask? It makes me smell like cat poo. The compounds in GFSE either tax my liver or cause intestinal upset to the point where it causes me to smell worse than I would with full-blown sugar fed candida. I came across your site, and did a little research…. Going to wikipedia and reading about Quaternary ammonium cations was about as far as I got. WOW, what an idiot I am for trying this poison, again!!
The best relief I have given myself from candida is to avoid all processed foods and most any source of carb or sugar (even some veggies and fruit). Top that with massive amounts of the correct kind of living pro-biotics.
Thank you for keeping your page up! You helped me gain some info and jump-started my own research. Even though every other commenter has been a hater, I would like to say thanks Marianne!!
Thank you Otis, you are very welcome!
INteresting reading through all the links and info about GSFE and Benzethonium chloride. Still no concrete answer about the extraction chemicstry, it seems very confusing; Are you concluding that benzethonium is added to the fruit pulp when processing, to stabilise the polyphenols and turn them into quat ammonium compounds (similar to BZC) or do you think the benzethonium is present as one of the quat ammonium compounds generated when the unstable polyphenols are converted? I have read several other articles on BZC which would seem to infer that BZC may be added at the end of the process as a preservative, but I think they misinterpreted the data. This point is important since it would class BZC as either a reaction by-product or as an active ingredient/intermediate. I’m tending to think the latter but would really like some clarity on this.
Without going to the lab and getting detailed lab reports I am unable to help you with the science of adding chemicals to blends. This may be something you could do, take a GFSE product to a lab and get in analysed for the elements you are seeking?
For me it is clear, using a proprietary blend of GFSE my infection diminished. Using an organic GFSE with no chemicals added to the processes at any time from growing grapefruits to squishing the seeds my infection got worse. Grapefruit seeds do not have antimicrobial properties which was demonstrated by my lap report when bacteria and yeast grew. They do contain Vitamin C and other nutrients that may boost the immune system that then may ward of an infection but this is not an antimicrobial aspect, that is immune support.
Hope this helps the clarity!
“…believing it was natural and at the time I had a health issue and I was trying to reduce chemicals to nil”.
Please do not get caught up with the “All Chemicals Are Evil” hysteria, it will devalue the credibility of the well-reported items. Everything is made of chemicals. Water is toxic if you have too much of it, as is oxygen. The truth is that many natural products are far less regulated than synthetic ones, and will contain far more isomers, impurities, etc. than their synthetic counterparts. Natural products untouched by big pharma comanies or cosmetics companies are also full of chemicals! The sooner we get away from this hysteria about chemicals the faster we can have a sensible debate about purities and dosage levels.
I am not a chemist or a scientist what follows is my understanding:
1. Chemicals
2. Synthetic chemicals [my definition]
Chemicals are found in nature bound to other chemicals and work in harmony, balance and sometimes antagonistic with the other bound chemical structures they are naturally found with.
Synthetic chemicals – is my definition of all chemicals that are unbound (ie not with their natural counterparts) or have been blended with other unbound chemicals to form another unnatural chemical.
Synthetic chemicals are bad and if I can avoid them or reduce them I will for the sake of my poor health which is so much better since reducing synthetic chemicals.
I hope this helps you understand my version of the differences between seeking out natural in preference (but not always possible) to synthetics.
with kind regards
Marianne
With all due respect Marianne, this non-technical approach to chemistry has little validity in the real world. Synthetic chemicals are not inherently bad. There is no reality to your view of them being bound or unbound. Many naturally occurring chemicals can be toxic, irritant, etc. Any argument you may put forward containing technical or chemical terms have little credibility if you decide to make up your own definitions in this way.
Hi Al
Many thanks for your response. I have answered below in between your sentences.
You said: With all due respect Marianne, this non-technical approach to chemistry has little validity in the real world.
My response: I was not trying to be scientific or technical, just elucidating in my own way.
You said: Synthetic chemicals are not inherently bad.
My response: A scientist I know would agree with you.
You said: There is no reality to your view of them being bound or unbound.
My response: I suspect that my use of the word ‘bound’ is what threw you, as it sounds like a scientific expression ie a chemical bond. I did not use it to sound scientific or technical – far from it, I meant the word in the literal sense of being united, found together, part of the same item.
You said: Many naturally occurring chemicals can be toxic, irritant, etc.
My response: Yes I know. But the toxic chemical when left with its counterparts it is grown with has its toxicity counterbalanced. However there are plenty of plants and animals that are poisonous. I am well aware that just because something is truly natural, doesn’t mean it is good-for-you.
You said: Any argument you may put forward containing technical or chemical terms have little credibility if you decide to make up your own definitions in this way.
My response: I wasn’t trying to be ‘clever’ and sound technical. I was stating my view.
My view:
I am keen to seek a more natural approach to the things I need in my life. However I am weak especially if I or my loved ones are ill and so will resort to ‘synthetic chemicals’ in the form of painkillers and yes dreaded antibiotics if it was the only thing that would cure me. I am not against pharmaceutical preparations per se in the short term.
The whole point of the original article (where is it by the way, it was so long ago) was to illustrate the synthetic chemical nature of GFSE and that it is not a natural substance. I had been blinded by the health companies selling GFSE into thinking it was a natural antimicrobial and then discovered that it was not. That is all. And not only that, the nasty synthetic chemical used in GFSE – kills the fauna and flora. And not only that, using an antimicrobial product when one is not in great need of it, seriously damages the gut and weakens the immune system which may result in a loop of poor health, anitbiotics, furthering poor health.
Hang on, I was getting recurring strep throat.4 in a year and was told id have to get my tonsils removed then the head of microbiology where I work ( I work in a hospital lab) told me to try this as a gargle aid. I used it as directed and I have not had a single strep throat in 3 years plus I still have my tonsils! Anytime I feel a sore throat showing up, I use this. I am also using it on a fungal toe nail infection for the past year and the infection is nearly gone. I have nothing bad to say about this product and it the head of microbiology recommends it then Im ok with it.
I am pleased for you! 🙂
I have never suggested that GFSE doesn’t work!
It does!
I mind the side-effects of using unnatural products and I used to mistakenly think that it was natural.
Natural products work more in harmony with the body and so there are fewer side-effects.
Having said that, it is NEVER a good idea to take continual antibiotics because natural or not, they upset the gut which then upsets the rest of the body.
If you think it is natural then buy a grapefruit, take out the seed, crush the seed, get hold of the gunge from inside the seed and smear it on your infected toe-nails and see if the infection continues to clear up or gets worse. There is no anti-microbial effect in grapefruit seeds so the infection should get worse.
I’m sorry but you’re an idiot. There are plenty of pubmed studies showing the effectiveness of Citricidal and to make matters worse for your idiotic website, Nutribiotic provides test results from an independent lab showing ZERO synthetic preservatives. Please tell me that you’ve at least contacted them and reviewed the results? People like you shouldn’t be allowed to blog…seriously. You take one concept and chain it to a another and ergo, you’re some internet superhero.
You come across as some delusional idiot who wants a soapbox for her internet ramblings. Let me break it down for you, even though I know the ego of a person who creates a website with their own name won’t be able to accept it:
1) Pork products and bacteria protection using citricidal: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19490335
2) Essential oils, Citricidal and staph: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15555788
3) Topical antibacterial activity: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12165190
An article you clearly haven’t read or understand: http://www.nutriteam.com/citricidal.htm
Show me an independent lab test that shows that Citricidal actually contains Benzethonium Chloride. Problem is you can’t, because it doesn’t.
Worse yet, you push Colloidal silver which has been proven to to NOTHING from the same sources you site!
Oh and the best part is that ontop of you being wrong about basic chemistry, wrong about your claims about Citricidal containing Benzethonium Chloride, Nutribiotic has killed or hurt NO ONE. So I don’t want a moron like you speaking for what’s right or wrong for me! Take your stupid “plight” here and go away. Oh well, I guess I should take Colloidal Silver (which doesn’t work) or trust big Pharma and go back to Augmentin. Please stop blogging until you get a clue about basic chemistry and a degree of common sense.
Wow! Could not have said it better if I tried. Amen Tony.
There are many chemical journal articles about the quantitative analysis of GSE.
“Identification of benzalkonium chloride in commercial grapefruit seed extracts”
J Agric Food Chem 2005
“Identification of benzethonium chloride in commercial grapefruit seed extracts”
J Agric Food Chem 2001
These are Japanese studies, so we can hope that NutriBiotic is additive-free.
Perhaps These are natural constituents of grapefruit seeds?
Perhaps it’s all one giant conspiracy to defame GSE?
But I would be hesitant to attack the blogger. He/She seems genuine and quoting published information. My only criticism is that the pressed juice from the seeds in her experiment are different than an extract. He/She hasn’t sufficiently established the inefficacy of natural GSE.
I have some myself. Most likely these chemicals were really found in GSE samples and the legitimate manufacturers cleaned up their product.
Hello,
I am sorry but I have to totally disagree with you Marianne, let me explain why.
I have suffered from a nasal fungus, for 7 years I have suffered from headaches, nasal discharges, horrible breath at any time of the day for no reasons, feeling of a ball stuck in my throat due to a incredible post nasal drip problem.
I have seen 4 specialists in 2 countries, but numerous doctors in a 3rd one. I have been on corticosteroids,, nasal Turbinate reduction, antibiotics, nasal sprays…I started to be crazy. My life was upside down, I could not live like all my friends anymore.
I researched my products on the internet, chlorophyll tablets, it did not work, probiotics neither, eucalyptus, mint, multi vitamins, iodine, nasal wash with ayurvedic salts……and the list goes on… Until I found a research on the internet saying that must nasal problems like allergic rhinitis or nasal allergies that do not stop come from fungus living in the nose, they also said that the only safe and most powerful medicine that could be used was GSE which stands for GrapeFruit Seed Extract.
I thought…oh well, another scam on the internet, I tried all, I give up.
Then my wife and I went into a health store to get some vitamin C tablets because I used to feel down all the time due to all this pain and stress caused by my sinuses, then, totally by mistake, we saw a little bottle of the same GSE we saw on the net, we thought, ok , let’s try it, now it is there….
Then at home, I followed what a german specialist told me once. Get some clean bottle water, boil it, add 2 netipot size of water on the boiler, warm it up, add 1 g exactly(one flat tea spoon) of Himalayan salt. Then I followed that the others said, add 3 drops of GSE in your netipot, mix it up until it foams.
I was a little worried to be honest, I thought….what on earth is thing and what happens if I have an allergy from it….
Then I tried, finished the neti pot and………..
Incredible! I could not believe what was happening! For the first time in 7 years, my turbinates shrinked straight away, I could breathe properly and the best of all….the death smell that was in my nose was gone at 100%. I now do it every 3 days as a routine for the last 2 years, I never have been sick since, no more asthma, no more headaches, I feel like reborn again.
Please don’t ban this product, buy a reputable brand, but for all the people who suffer from what I had, this product is just a god gift.
Maybe it did not work on you because you used it undiluted or your type of fungus fed on it but my fungus, died on contact.
When I now tell my friends and family noone can believe that specialist gave me medecine way more dangerous than GSE for 7 years, and in only 30 seconds with 3 drops of that, my whole life turned upside down.
Please do not ban it.
The only reason I see this to be banned is because pharmaceutical companies are losing money on Sinus products because this is really the killer for post nasal drip, nothing comes as close as GSE.
Banning it will make pharmaceutical companies happy. They are slowly banning ayurveda products as well because they have lost millions last year due to people using alternative natural products.
Please listen to me, banning such powerful medicine will only make more humans like me suffer even more.
You can only use GSE on certain diseases, on others it will hurt more , this is the basic of all medecines, do you think cortico steroids are worse than GSE? Hell no!
Ben
Hi Ben, thank you for your detailed response.
My problem with Citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is that it is advertised as a natural product when it isn’t.
The only way the gunge from grapefruit seeds can be antimicrobial is because there has been a drug/medicine/chemical added. It used to be a chemical used on farm animals and the farming industry which killed the fauna and flora around the factory where it was produced, now I believe some other chemical is used. The chemical used was benzethonium chloride but it may be some other chemical now.
The whole point of the original article was to put Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract firmly where it belonged as a hazardous drug not a natural product.
We all take hazardous drugs from time to time to clear up an infection but are informed of what we are being offered and so we can make an informed decision of whether to take the risk or not.
If anyone thinks that Citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is a natural antimicrobial product this article and subsequent comments is illustrating otherwise.
Now then on to you and your nasal fungus. Taking an antimicrobial for the rest of your life will cause problems with your guts and then your digestion and then your overall health because it will kill the natural bacteria in your gut. (The Fibre Menace by Konstantin Monastyrsky)
Surely there is an answer to this problem without the need to take a hazardous drug? There is. You have developed an allergy or food intolerance. Try eating a purer diet with absolutely no additives, meat products from kindly cared for animals. And/Or you could get yourself tested for allergies or intolerance via the York Blood Test. This will fine tune your intolerance. The fungus is out of control and needs to be controlled by the consumption of good foods and avoiding those foods your body cannot tolerate at the moment. Good bacteria feeds off the natural sugars in vegetables and fruit so these foods will help. Avoid all cane or beet sugars and synthetic sugars. Avoid harsh fibre too. The foods should be organic and without pesticides or additives. A friend of mine had similar symptoms to yours and found she was allergic to eggs, she gave them up and her symptoms cleared up.
You really do not want to be on anti-microbial products for the rest of your life unnatural chemicals or not.
I sincerely hope this helps you to better wellness.
“My problem with Citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is that it is advertised as a natural product when it isn’t.”
So ban it? Come on.
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
Yes I understand your point, it is not a natural product, I also understand it should not be marketed as a “natural product” but I can tell you something, if this was labelled as medicine, I would still take it when needed.
8 Years ago I was diagnosed with Colitis(before taking Gse), I then modified my diet fully, I went from an acidic diet to Alkaline, the disease went, but in between, it was a constant fight because I had no idea what an alkaline diet was. Now if you compare the very nasty drugs I have taken vs GSE than I can promise you that GSE is very safe.
Some of the drugs I took destroyed my lymph, immune system, hormones, I had skin cracks, bleeding from the nose, terrible insomnia of 5 days in a row, palpitation, neck swelling and many more.
Now all these drugs are administered to people who apparently suffer from Colitis, I find this madness, all the experts told me that the diet was unrelated to the disease which I have never believed. I suffered from those drugs, had water retention, depression. I had to leave my job, lost it all. Now of course my life has changed because I am all back together without health problems.
When I moved in the country I am now, I realized that the winters had a level of 95% humidity, fungus starts in the house, on the pellows and everywhere else, we cannot stop it, even the water condensers are useless because of the size of the property. So we do sometime catch a fungus, on the scalp or nose, it is annoying and doctors prescribe all the time steroids so your immune system just forget about the fungus, but this is not right.
When my wife and I do start smelling something bad and have post nasal drip, it means that our nose starts to have a little fungus, even the good things smell bad, we both use GSE with water and salt at that time until it clears up. We never had side effects. Also having suffered from Colitis, my guts never suffered either, I have never had another colitis attack since I found out about Alkalinity and overall health..
I think it is a balance of everything, whatever you do, don’t over abuse. only using 2 drops of GSE in the nose every 3 days with salt water will not hurt you, far less than corticosteroids.
Things like coke, seven up, and other drings full of chemicals, do hurt me straight away, my guts get into spasm. I am very sensible to bad chemicals and this is why I felt that GSE was not too bad(compared to all the others I have been taking from so called “doctors”).
I think they should perhaps relabel the product and not call it an all natural medicine but not ban it.
If you ban this product then ban all the other nasty things I have been taking. Some have even died from it.
It is like everything, when you look at an herb like curcumin, it could be really good for most of us but for me, my colitis bleeding increased terribly because the product thins your blood. Aloe vera which I cultivate in the garden, did hurt my guts terribly aswell and it is labelled as safe too when sold in the public, I have also read crazy things about this plant and some are saying people should not touch it, when under a colitis episode, it increased the disease by a least 4.
I understand your point but I also kindly ask you to understand that many of us either have to use steroids or other deadly drugs to stop certain diseases or take this type of half natural products because of the environment we live in. We have no choices.
I wish science could understand cancers, colitis, and many more diseases but unfortunately too many things on this planet are hurting us, car fumes, wifi frequencies, stress and many more.
I have known many who have died of cancers and they were eating good products(organic) and doing a lot of sport. Health is a whole, some may eat good but smell car fumes everyday, organic product will then become useless to have.
Others eat very well but their jobs stress them terribly, they get hormonal imbalance and start cancers.
In order to live well you would need a world without pollution, additives,stress,dangerous frequencies.
A world like this, unfortunately will not exist any time soon.
I don’t even bother about eating organic anymore, I just wash most of the fruits and vegs with bicarbonate of soda to remove the oily insecticides, it works well. I then cook with vapor my meats and vegs, all the baddies then go down the pan. I have been recommended to do both by 2 nutritionists who told me that many claimed their food was 100% organic but weren’t. Same problem as GSE and many are like this. This is why I just don’t bother spending more cash for something which is maybe not always well proved.
Check this out if you have time.
http://www.naturalnews.com/036047_natural_foods_labeling_fraud.html
A few weeks ago they were saying that diesel is a killer, now it is labelled a carcinogen product, we breathe it everyday……will they ban it? Nope, the world is gone crazy, money goes first, our health after………thanks to the financial system, also with this recession many people will not always respect their “Organic claims”, be careful.
Thanks again for your blog and discussion,
Have a nice day ahead,
Ben
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for educating me on the added ingredients to grapefruit seed extract. This is not mentioned on the packaging and is concealing the truth. I have written to the manufacturer to ask them to clarify this for me.
I do however agree with Ben. I think that banning it is an extreme approach. Manufacturers should be forced to include all ingredients on the packaging. Regulations could enforce health food stores to educate the customers before selling it. (like the way here in Ireland, chemists legally MUST educate people before buying over the counter codeine). I think that if regulation took over and we had to buy everything via a prescription if would be extremely unfair- it takes away our freedom of choice and just adds to our medical bills (I would have to pay €60 to go to doctor just to get pescription on something that I have been using safely for years after being carefully educated on proper usage).
I have asthma and used to get a cold which turned into severe bronchitis- at least twice a year for nearly ten years. Now, I always take citricidal in water for a few days whenever I get a cold, bug or chest infection. The infection never gets severe, leaves my body in less than four days and I haven’t had to take an anti-biotic in over two years. I agree with Ben- although it the packaging is not being clear, it is significantly less dangerous than many other medications one would have to take as an alternative.
Again, thank you for bringing this to light however I would ask you to consider a moderate approach to resolve the issue through clearly informing on packaging and through educating before selling as opposed to just banning it.
Thank you Ben and Laura for your comments.
I thought I would include you both in this reply as the information applies to both your comments.
CLient X was equally upset at not using citricidal when I told him of its formulation, because he too found it a very useful product. He was using it to stop the effects of some symptoms he had from consuming foods he was allergic to, but stopped using it when he heard what it contained. He then developed painful lumps in his neck and went through an agonising and worrying time for diagnosis. Nothing being understood as to the cause, he had neck massage and changed his diet and way of life, his painful neck condition has gone, symptoms from allergy went and he hasn’t touched citricidal since before his neck condition and he is very well and healthy now.
I used it for constantly feeling sick and nauseous which was very debilitating and it helped tremendously, I could get on with my day. I am fine now since I implemented lifestyle changes and haven’t touched citricidal since I discovered the chemical properties of the product.
Human beings should not have to resort to continual or regular use of antimicrobial products. That is not natural. Regular use of ‘natural’ antibiotics for example tea-tree and colloidal silver are not good either. I could not suggest which is worse on the body natural antibiotics or synthetic ones. There is some assumption that a natural antibiotic has a less disarming effect on the body but I wouldn’t know if that is a scientific fact or not.
Citricidal is an antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal product and not many if any medicinal drugs have all three of those aspects. In fact a GP will not prescribe an anti-biotic medicine for an infection that is fungal or viral as it could make the infection worse. Hence the powerfulness of citricidal, so powerful that the chemical they use kills fauna and flora around the factory where it is produced. So I can’t agree that it is better than using prescribed drugs. I don’t think there is any science on long term use of citricidal and long term use could be dangerous.
Steroids (corticosteriods made by the adrenal glands) are found naturally in our own bodies and are extremely powerful products when concentrated in a synthetic product and used as a drug. They are generally prescribed for very short periods because of their dangers and the boost they provide is miraculous. To use steroids regularly would cause degeneration in the body. This is why steroids and other drugs can only be prescribed by a GP, so that their use is monitored and carefully applied. Citricidal does not have that governance.
Medicine seeks to diminish one or a few of the symptoms a disorder is causing. It is better to seek to diminish the disorder.
Ben a book to read is (there is a kindle version) by Konstantin Monastyrsky called The Fiber Menace, he also has a website called Gut Sense I think it is. Konstantin Monastyrsky illustrates very well that fibre is the cause of many ill-health problems and we should not be eating any of it, from the outer layer – bran to the softer layers in grains, vegetables and fruit. Grains should be fermented to break down the phytic acid which man cannot tolerate but fermentation only breaks down 50% of the bran layer so it really shouldn’t be eaten. In ancient times grains were ground and the flour fermented; the grinding process removed the harsh outer layer but kept the germ and some of the softer layers so making it a safer product to use, the fermentation broke down any residual phytic acid. Bread these days is ground so that nutrients are lost, is not fermented and synthetic vitamins and nutrients have to be put back in and also includes numerous bleaches and chemicals obtained during its processes – so a very unhealthy 19th/20th/21st century product.
Good bacteria is made in the appendix and keeps the gut in good health. It is fed by the natural sugars in fruit and veg, so they should be peeled and cooked, eaten in the minority when you are treating health issues. If a healthy person, Monastyrsky then says that soft fruits and veg can be consumed. We all need the fat and protein from meat, eggs and milk and fat helps flush the stools.
Laura sometimes allergy play a part in asthma especially milk and all milk products, have you considered this? Have you considered avoiding additives in food including sulphites?
Vitamin C foods and exercise also helps as will calcium, magnesium and zinc supplement and animal fats and seed oils. Asthma is an enigma and if you get ill the two are compounded so I do appreciate that you would want to knock the cold/flu symptoms on the head as soon as possible.
When I feel ill, at first I look at my diet and reduce further any allergens I may have been consuming, do some specific movements that encourage lymphatic flow (the lymphatics aid getting rid of toxins, disease from the body) and take a painkiller to cope with the pain of illness. I generally find myself well after 24 hours, if not I use tea-tree or colloidal silver. If after 36 hours things are not improving and getting worse then I am off to the GP but that rarely happens.
Sulphites were the culprits causing the nausea and bloating I experienced plus other awful side-effects. Taking citricidal that stopped the nausea masked the problem as it did with client x. When I take all sulphited foods out of my diet and all the things I am intolerant to, I do not feel nauseous or bloated. If I thought I needed citricidal before, I do not now because by changing my diet and including exercise I feel I have resolved the cause. Sulphites and other additives do not have to be declared in or on a product if under a certain percentage. The standard – the codex standard applies to all products that are consumed therefore the manufacturers can legally say there are no sulphites in a product when there are.
You may find the same situation applies to the chemical in citricidal or they may admit there is some residue of the chemical but it is so tiny as to be insignificant they may say. But it can’t be insignificant because it is that tiny bit that is the active antimicrobial therefore illustrating that the miniscule bits of chemicals in products do have an effect. We know this because there are no antimicrobial properties in the seeds of grapefruits – the lab tests confirm this, so it has to be the chemical added that is antimicrobial. I do wonder how this product was allowed to be marketed when the chemical used is registered on the N.I.O.S.H register as toxic.
Sources:
The Fiber Menace by Konstantin Monastyrsky
STOP trans fats by Mary Enig
Weston A Price foundation – fermented grains
Health = the sum of 3 parts by Marianne Gutierrez (out soon)
Fats and Oils article by Marianne Gutierrez
Photos from the lab report of organic cold pressed grapefruit seeds – article by Marianne Gutierrez
I am happy to say that I have received a very thorough response from the producers of Unifect-GSE™ who have assured me that they have fully inspected the manufacturers processing and have also provided me with articles. I am confident that in this instance you are wrong. For anyone else reading this I would suggest that you complete further research before believing this blog.
All the best.
Laura
Hi Marianne,
A great link for you here
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=447254192494
——————–
Grapefruit seed extract is effective at very low concentrations. During 1989-90, an international research team (reported in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 5, No. 3, USA, 1990) examined the effects of GSE 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.
Grapefruit seed extract 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).
Because of it’s low toxicity for humans grapefruit seed extract is becoming the health alternative choice for those seeking a (broad spectrum) compound that does not have the harsh side effects of pharmaceutical chemicals.
————————–
Now in farms they were using a large amount of it which caused problems, but it is like everything, when you abuse with certain things, it always goes against you.
Here you have 2 problems:
1 Team of researchers says it is toxic(from what you are saying)
and another Team says that it only becomes toxic when it is used in a large amount.
Now the question is:
Who pays both teams for the research>?
As we all know, it is hard to trust research, most of the time the research is being paid either to promote a product or demote it by the competition.
Good luck with your blog. As we speak, I am using GSE on my scalp, I have a lot of itch due to an MRSA bug and this is the only thing that can work well, check it out on the net, GSE VS MRSA , the best of the best, doctors won;t be able to cure it anyway…….
Ben
Hi Ben, Thank you so much for your time in commenting here.
Why have you an MRSA bug? A GP was very concerned about someone I know who had to have long term antibiotics and the likely event of succumbing to MRSA and so wanted to stop the antibiotics because of this concern. It is the continual use of antibiotics whatever form they come in that is a) causing gut problems and b) causing bugs to get out of hand, which is why we have MRSA. Now I wonder if the companies making citricidal and grapefruit seed extract are adding to this problem in the factories where this product is made and in the water systems when those who are on antibiotics wee it out.
The facebook page you gave me is repeating all the things I have already spoken about on this blog and mentioned again in a comment to another reader this morning.
Water is H20 plus its solutes, two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen plus solutes. Interfere with that natural substance by separating the hydrogen and oxygen and you get some powerful inflammatory agents. Water in itself is not inflammatory it is the very opposite. Grapefruit seed may have started out as natural, but the grapefruit seed pulp after all that is done to it is not natural and benzethonium chloride if not added to the brew is a powerful antimicrobial that is present in the extract according to the information I have found and published in the article Still pro GFSE?.
Ben please look at your diet for allergies, food intolerance, chemical intolerance to reduce the symptoms of your condition and please reduce the use of antibiotics. I know you live in a damp climate but so do all the other people who live in that climate and I am sure they are not using antibiotics all the time. Check out that book I told you about The Fiber Menace it may give you some clues to your condition and more importantly how to diminish the symptoms. You should contact your GP. I know GPs do not have all the answers but they do have more than you think, your GP should be contacted so that they have up-todate information about you, at the very least in case of emergencies.
I am concerned about you and do thank you for reading this site, please keep in touch and let me know how you are.
Please, please, please read the book The Fiber Menace by Konstantin Monastyrsky, I have the kindle edition for macs and then I can make a search. I have typed this out for you from the book:
Chapter 12, The Low-Fiber Advantage, enumerates the key benefits of excising fiber from your diet. Those benefits range from weight loss and improved digestion to recovery from diabetes, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis-disorders that defy conventional treatment because drugs can only sugarcoat their symptoms, but can do nothing to remove their causes. Fiber is the champion of harm among these conditions. This chapter often refers to a low-fiber lifestyle rather than just to a low-fiber diet for a reason: who can really diet for long? Besides, this book isn’t about what to eat. It’s about what not to.
I wrote to Konstantin Monastyrsky through his website and he was very quick to reply and I am sure you can write to him about your condition and see what he says. I don’t eat much fibre at all and my gut is so calm and healthy. I have got my dog well by giving her a diet that is natural to dogs – raw meaty bones – no fibre there but she ‘goes’ naturally about 3 times a day and interestingly another point Konstantin makes about drinking less, my dog rarely drinks about 9 slurps every evening and that is it. She is very healthy and rarely if ever do we go to the vet. My diet is mainly protein (animal) and some soft veg, plenty of fats.
Read the book. It will enlighten you.
Here is his website: http://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/about_gs.html
Hi Marianna,
Thank you for the reply.
Let me explain why I had so many health problems.
I had nasal allergies for many years as I was working in the pharmaceutical industry, doctors first gave me some antibiotics which I was not really happy about. It did not work, a second antibiotic was given, it did not work either.
By that time, acne started to show up on my face, a third antibiotic (tetracycline) was given for at least 1.5 year. This was keeping the problem away but I finally started to have intestinal bleeding.
The doctor first thought it was only a small crack in the intestines and left me having my little bleeding for over 6 months, then he believed it was an internal pile. 3 months later, I started to lose some weight, constant sweating, tiredness, nausea and depressions were part of my life.
The doctor then sat me and said “You may have to be ready for a bad news, these are the signs of a possible colon cancer”, by that time my bleeding was incredible. I had black circles around my eyes, I was losing my muscle mass very fast.
Anyway, the medical team gave me prednisolone(terrible thing), I felt very sick, I also have intravenous corticosteroids as nothing could stop my bleeding, calcium tablets and another huge list of tablets. I was just losing all my blood.
For 3 years it had been a constant battle with excellent specialists who explained to me well that you have different types of colitis. Some are diet related, yes, but others are started due to a germ while others are just genetic.
My family was very worried about it, so my own father decided to start speaking to real specialists who are working on the latest world research in this field. One of the specialist told him that many had intestinal problems due to their diet, but a part of the population had an immune system totally different from most of the patients. They had constant nasal, skin, intestinal allergies. Even treated by the best dietitians, these people cannot get better. The specialist told my dad that unfortunately science had a lot to learn in this field. The specialist was actually great because she knew all the best natural remedies to get a colon back to normal, the best probiotics and many other tricks to know. But she could not comment on colitis cases caused by a genetical problem.
I have met some people very sick with colitis, even babies, the gene was being passed onto the child at birth, this is just strange. Even with a mother that do not smoke, nor drink nor eat processed food, the baby was still sick.
Some believe that with all the chemicals we have in our food, even sometime hidden, our genes are in constant mutations to a point where some may never return to a normal state. I totally believe that.
As you can see, a lot of people are born with missing limbs, well this can happen to an immune system system as well. Because the basis of the immune system is not working properly maybe due to a missing component, then everything else follows and destroy the rest of the body.
For example, in my family there are liver problems, my grandma, dad, my grand father and the rest of the family have a weak liver(low enzyme at birth) causing many of us to have gall bladder problems. We all live in different parts of the world and our diet is totally different but we still get liver problems. Now this is exactly what happens to many people who are already “built” with a single problem, and this is a disaster for the rest of the body.
I used to be a person thinking that food was the answer to everything until I tested everything myself. For example, if my wife takes curcumin, she will have terrible belly pains. My friend cannot eat strawberries and has terrible rashes all over the body. For me, it is garlic and onions, a big nono.
Both my wife and I + friends eat perfectly, small meals, no alcohol, no sweets, fresh food from our local farmers, they do not use insecticides. But even with this perfect life under the sun, we cannot eat certain food that are normally good for our own body(garlic, onion, curcumin, aloe vera..)
If all humans were built the same way, we could then say, fine, this is the remedy for all, change your diet and you will be all sorted. Unfortunately, we have many genetic differences and this is causing a lot of problems to our race.
My diet is absolutely perfect, I also own the bible of all the food additives so I know exactly what I eat.
Just to finish, my colitis is gone but the specialist told me already that this was only a dormant period, sometime apparently it comes back after 10 or 15 years.
My nasal problems are also gone(with GSE), I can now breathe perfectly and feel great. My last problem is my scalp, but this problem appeared when they destroy my immune system at the hospital in order to stop my colitis from spreading, it was necessary as I was in a terrible state.
Fortunately, GSE is killing it day by day, I believe that in 2 or 3 days, it will be fully gone.
Nice chatting to you 🙂
Ben
The real problem with GSE is that it is a very inexpensive and at the same time a highly effective anti-viral/anti-baterial agent. Consequently anybody trashing this wonder drug should reveal who is paying them.
BTW If any product containing a toxic chemical tends to run foul of the FDA. Also please provide the public law citation and reason to support the assertion that Denmark has banned GSE. Europeans, besides living in the 19th century economically, are living in the 15th century agriculturally.
If you mean me, no no-one is paying me. I work in the profession of healing so if I find out something that may harm someone I will say so, if I find out something that will help someone I will say so.
I cannot provide the information that Denmark has banned citridical – someone sent me that info in a comment.
Hi Marianne,
Thank you very much for the read,
I believe that I will not need this book because I have already read so much about fibers, I have already so many books about that, colon,additives and many more. A very good friend of mine has also wrote a very good minibook about the bacterias in the guts and the fat liver disease( fasting recommended, never eat when you are hungry, always give some breaks to your liver)) which is also something not well known in the medical world, no doctors speak about it.
Regarding fibers, this has been pretty much the most important part of my diet.
Too much Insoluble fibers used to kill my guts while soluble fibers were ok but I could not take too much of it, fibers are important when you have colitis as you do not want to be constipated or the pain hits the roof, noone could help for this as I had to find my own balance. Now when you have such disease, what is normally good to you becomes bad so the fibers used to be a real problem while being in active colitis, I had to take the exact right amount an per day, but when you not in active colitis, you have to take far more so you stop being constipated and do not get what they call the toxic colitis.
Even now, I have to watch for my fiber intake.
I am taking Chlorofresh everyday, and this has made miracles in my guts, you should try to find it. My dad is on it too and he has stopped having bowel problems.
I have already read, meet and tried everything you can think of, this is why I am feeling great now. There isn’t a single method or a single food that everyone can or can’t take, this is the problem, we are all different 🙂
When I will have more time for myself I will try to find this book but I believe it will not give me any new hints as I have been in contact with so many excellent nutritionists who had already forwarded me to some of the best book.
Thanks again Maryanne, and I am sure Google will love your blog with all these comments.
Ben
I just had a bacterial infection in my small finger on my left hand, with no visible signs or sores or anything on the surface or under the nail, the pain increased within an hour and became unberable very quikcly and I started taking GSE (without citric acid) in large dosages. I took 20 drops in 150 ml every 1.5 hr and also kept my finger in a pure undiluted GSE immersed constantly – within 3 hrs my pain was completely gone, within 12 hours, I was able to decrease the frequency to every 4 hours and within 24 hours hours my infection was gone. IN the meantime, I did go to the emergency and the blood tests did show a “mild” bacterial infection. Mild – because by the time the doc saw me and ordered tests I already took 8 dosages of GSE (one every 1.5 hr).
Also, isn’t citridal is an additional ingredient in GSE? Serving Size: 10 Drops
Servings Per Container: 200
Amount Per Serving
• Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) 100mg
Other Ingredients: Vegatable glycerine (67%) and CITRICIDAL® (33%)
Note that the type I used only had oregano in it, no cirticidal.
As a side effect, I had runny stools a couple of times.
GSE has been used to centuries especially in countries where malaria and present and infections spread fast.
You say it was “PROVEN” that GSE does not play a role but some additives do – care to provide specific research, references, case studies? Circumstances do matter. And especially who funded the research.
I regret that you suffered a worsening of your condition, but advocating a ban on something that has been successfully used for centuries and without supporting your claims properly is not very convincing.
Additional ingredients do matter, that’s why I only buy GSE with no citric acid in it (oregano is okay but in large dosages it may have an adverse effect on people with liver problems); and critic acid is bad for fungus and candida, so I avoid buying this kind.
The title of your article is “Ban Citricidal and Grapefruit Seed Extract”. You stated that since it is not “natural” because it contains a synthetic chemical Benzethonium Chloride it must be banned.
I advice precaution at such blunt statements. GSE shows no toxicity at proper intake concentrations (look up LD50), therefore it is not poisonous. Also, it has been tested in mice with no effect on carcinogenicity. Furthermore, it demonstrates fantastic results in fighting different infections (you even agree on this point on your comment section).
I would advice removing this article due to its gestapo connotation of banning a product because it is synthetic and not natural without any other further considerations. Your article appalls me, and fills me with disgust. My discovery in reading about this product is that it has helped people tremendously, and signs of it being harmful is not clearly marked.
I believe your website should be banned for putting campaigns of suffering and oppression against people that are hopeless against a pharmaceutical industry that is killing us.
Did they pay you well to write this article or is it your own initiative!
Sorry that I have to write this, I just can not imagine that someone can write
this and doesn’t see the lack of logic?
Dear sister, all the best, wish you well, karl-heinz!
wikipedia backs up your statement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit_seed_extract
Hey! Thank you Momma Bear for finding this.
Will everyone accept what I say now?
I do not accept what you say about GSE. I was prescribed Humira (an immune-suppressant) for AS and crohn’s and had contracted a very serious candida infection and also a Klebsiella bacterial infection. My doctor did not believe that I had any infection and rationalized that I’d be dead if I did have one. I had pulmonary infiltrates, thick white phelgm, sweats, fatigue, severe allergic reactions and fevers. I had insisted that I needed a sputum culture done that confirmed that I had these infections and all of my doctors still did not believe me. I was under-treated and very sick without the help from the medical community that prescribed me their poison that caused these infections. Fast forward to today….I have been using GSE daily since that time (4 years) and I know that I’d be dead without GSE…plain and simple. I’m not 100% but I continue to make gradual progress. Like I said before I was severely ill and if it helped me then it is indeed effective.
Hi Santo
Thank you for commenting. I can appreciate you don’t want something banned that is helping you to combat a series of symptoms.
The point of the article is to get everyone’s attention, to illustrate that what they were consuming and thought natural isn’t. The drug used to make GFSE (GSE is grape seed extract – oil pressed out of grape seeds) is toxic and the animals and wildlife around the factory where this drug is produced dies.
Is it Grape Seed Extract that has helped you – an anti-oxidant or the proprietary blend of grapefruit seed extract has the benzethonium chloride chemical that has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties?
The chemical in grapefruit seed extract is used in agriculture for its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal (anti-microbial) properties. Natural antimicrobial products are silver and tea-tree oil. The nanoparticles of silver that are in colloidal silver may not be good for the cells in the human body but no-one knows, the traditional method of using silver to kill microbes is to put a piece of silver into a glass of milk for an hour and then drink the milk. I use colloidal silver or tea-tree for all infections with excellent results and no adverse effects.
All the very best of health to you.
The Proof is in the Pudding! I was exposed to Citricidal in 1993. The manufacturer gave me a free case and all the studies that had been completed at Bringham Young and in Paris. I had the liquid and capsules. I gave a monthly supply to a friend who had AIDS and no T-count left. He was healthy for over a year attending the Opera etc. Then the Doctors wanted to try a new medicine and told him that he had to stop the “citrus related citricidal”. He went from healthy to dying in 90 days on the new medicine. My other friend had a fungus on her toe which was there for 2 years. She used the drops and it was gone in 3 days. I had a dying tooth and had no insurance and was traveling and I used the drops which stopped the pain and infection overnight!
I read the studies from both labs and was blown away by all the things citricidal handled successfully. Jean Dixon a famous psychic stated the cure for all diseases would be citrus related. I believe that it just might be citricidal.
Eating Organic and avoiding GMOs is a great leap towards health and utilizing the benefits(without excess) could just take you over the goal line towards longevity.
Ha, Ha Mimi and Mike, very funny. Are you quoting the Jeane (with an e note) Dixon effect with regard to citricidal? She famously got her predictions wrong and then tried to correct them – so much so that a term was coined The Jeane Dixon Effect which means someone who covers up the larger amounts of erroneous information or predictions or faux pas’ with the few correct information or predictions. In other words she got things wrong and could not be relied upon.
Are you producers of grapefruit seed extract? You will read on this site in all the articles and the comments about grapefruit seed extract that it is NOT the natural and/or organic citrus fruit that contains the anti-microbial effect but the chemical used. A powerful and dangerous chemical used in agriculture that kills the fauna and flora all around the factories where it is made.
I had a booth at a Whole Life Expo where I was exposed to Citricidal 20 years ago. I became interested in the product after reading the studies from the credible labs that tested the results and then contacted the manufacturers who sent me further studies. The most impressive was the travel agents in the Amazon where half used a drop of Citricidal in each glass of water and never became sick like the other half using another product. One of the studies that support the benefits of Citricidal was Pasteur Institute and the other Bringham Young. It appears that you feel that you are more of an expert than these institutes? You have a better chance of dying from the GMOs in 99% of our foods than Citricidal. Why don’t you go after Masanto Foods? If a cure for all disease turns out to be Citrus related then perhaps Jean Dixon will regain some credibility. Citricidal has been a great gift in our lives. That is a fact not a psychic prediction. My dad once told me that if I lived long enough then every thing that is bad for you will ultimately become good for you and vice versa! There are many roads to Rome and many roads to good health. Citricidal is not the anti-Christ!
Thanks Mimi & Mike. I have also been using Citricidal for over 15 years. Also known as GSE (which stands for Grapefruit Seed Extract). I think you may have your facts mixed up. It is amazing and wonderful. I have used it to kill bugs and strep throat for my family.
The label on my bottle of Citricidal says it contains: Grapefruit Seed Extractive 60%, Glycerin – USP (Vegetable) 38%, Ascorbic Acid – USP 2% and NOTHING ELSE. It is made from the pulp of the Grapefruit skin.
I have used it exclusively to clean my pet lovebirds’ feeding and water dishes because dish soap (and dish washer liquid) is toxic to birds. If there were any toxic substances that are that sensitive and harmful to a human, I am sure wouldn’t have any birds left after 15 years…
“The similarity in molecular weight between Citricidal and both Benzelkonium Chloride and Benzelthonium Chloride has wrongly influenced some(including drug and chemical manufacturers) to assert that Citricidal has been “spiked” with these poisons. (They are both powerful industrial disinfectants, and are even found in some consumer goods in the U.S.) But once again, independent lab tests, and a 30-year track record of safe use as a human therapeutic speak loudly against such slander. ”
here is the source: http://www.nutriteam.com/citricidal
You have not provided a shred of evidence that the organic grapefruit starting material used in synthesizing Citricidal is doused with benzethonium chloride or that there is any benzethonium chloride in the finished Citricidal. All you have offered is abject speculation, presupposition and hyperbole against Citricidal lab assays and statements that doesn’t support your case.
In this age of crony capitalist motivations not based on science or evidence to ban dietary supplement competition, be very careful in what you advocate. The FDA is already on the attack against antimicrobial silver that you cherish so much but many find to be ineffective.
The real scam here seems to be all the manufacturers of generic grapefruit seed extracts who want the consumer to conflate their inactive product with Citricidal. For that, I thank you for bringing it to everyone’s attention.
Conduct a 10 year longitudinal study on your topic directed by authentic researchers and then get back to us please.
I found the wonderful GSE with citricidal on a Morgellons website about 6 months ago. I used it mostly topically and internally in my nose, ears. Under the peel off label were many uses. I did take it in water once or twice a week. And always put it in my bath water. I really never thought I would get Morgellons gone and especially on my scalp. But once I started using the GSE it helped me feel so much better.
I went to buy a second bottle last week and guess what? It was a different formula. The EPA And FDA banned Nutrabiotic from using the Citricidal brand in a nutritional diet supplement. If you want that brand as I do you have to buy it in a one ounce bottle called Maximun GSE. And I am stocking up as the FDA will try to take everything that will keep us healthy away from us. Check out UN Agenda 21 .
So all the people now buying Nutrabiotic GSE are gettin ripped off. Rub some between your fingers. Does it get hot?? NO!!!. I agree with Marianne that we should be informed about chemical additives(if there are any). However people used to drink 20 mule team borax 100 years ago to stay well.
On the box it says not to be taken internally. WHY??? Who would think to drink a laundry booster. I would . Every day 1/8th tsp in water with ACV. I have stocked up on it because if they can take away GSE they can take my borax (boron) which combats the fluoride in our systems.
Throughout this whole long thread of comments you have not addressed the fact that several people have called you out for calling for the ban of this product. You’re very quick to get back to everyone else. What’s the deal? What is your comment Marianne? YOU put it out there for banning, please defend your statement or retract it.
I refer you to my comment left on April 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Sorry to be waking up this thread, but I was shocked to hear a call to ban this product. I have been using Citricidal since 1995. Before discovering the product, I would have been taking 2 to 3 antibiotic courses a year. I am in full health and I have rarely seen a doctor and have not taken an antibiotic since 1995. My son was on regular antibiotics for ear & throat infections for 3 months, the doctors wanted to operate to remove tonsils and adenoids. 2 drops in his bottle a few times a day cured him. He is now 15, healthy and top of his class, his only visits to the doctor since have been due to skateboarding. I have recomended citricidal to family and friends and have never heard a complaint, only successes.
Hi Dona Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I know, it is a shame that this product is not natural and contains a chemical that is antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral that is used on animals in agriculture and where it is manufactured kills all the fauna and flora around the factory.
I thought it a miracle gem at the time and also thought it totally natural.
I am not saying it doesn’t work. My point is that something that is chemical is being bandied about as if it is natural. The public need to be made aware of what it is they are using – the next thing you know you will see a product in a health food store that is concentrated apple pips and it is being sold as a pain killer and then one day you will find out that the apple pips have been chemically treated with aspirin. I am aware of what nutrients do in my body and so am happy to take them in, my body needs the nutrients but I do not know what chemicals do in my body and most of them tend to have an adverse effect. Yes I do take paracetamol and antibiotics from the GP and am fully aware of what I am ingesting. If you don’t mind you and your family taking this chemical then that is OK isn’t it? The other problem with it is that in being able to kill the bacteria, virus and fungus that is causing pain so easily is that the reason one has the bacteria, virus and fungus is being overlooked and that cause is not being addressed.
Watch out for another article of mine – how to keep well and disease free with good old-fashioned food.
Hi Marianne
Firstly, I think the title and opening premise of this article is a tad misguided. It seems to me that you take issue with the way this product is marketed, not with the efficacy or safety of the product. As such, your calls to have the product banned seem misguided. A call to have the ingredients and the processes that created them clarified and publicized might have been more apt.
I’ve been advised to take the product m a medical professional, and I must say your article does nothing to discourage me from doing so. The vast majority of reports from all who have taken the product seem highly positive, and the product has a thirty year safety record, so raising concerns about toxicity at this point seems somewhat unfounded, especially under your rather flaky assertion that the product may contain a potentially toxic chemical.
Tests have been done to test the safety of the product. Taken from the LifeEnthusiast website:
‘To further show the safety of Citricidal, an Acute Oral Toxicity Study was performed (see Northview Pacific Labs Report No. X5E015G, dated 7/6/95). Results showed that Citricidal is considered nontoxic by oral ingestion with an LD50 of over 5000 mg/kg of live body weight. This is the equivalent of a 200 lb. person drinking close to 1 lb. of pure Citricidal daily for two weeks, before risking a 50% risk of fatal poisoning. (There are close to 20,000 drops in one pound of Citricidal liquid. The recommended adult dose is 5-6 drops at a time.)
According to the Association of Poison Control Centers, the AMA Physician Reporting System, and the Journal of Emergency Medicine, there have been no reports that Citricidal has ever harmed anyone. In fact, there are thousands of clinical and anecdotal reports that Citricidal has helped many, and enjoys a safety record going back more than 30 years.’
The truth is that just about everything is toxic, be it natural or otherwise. The crux of your argument is that the product is not natural, but that depends on how you define the term natural. It seems that Citricidal is produced from natural ingredients in a process of several chemical reactions.
I assume that most would consume water from a tap in the belief that it is natural, despite it having gone through a series of chemical treatments before reaching our homes, and despite it containing a number of synthetic and ‘toxic’ substances (Liquified chlorine, Fluorosilicic acid, Aluminium sulphate, Calcium hydroxide, Sodium silicofluoride, etc.)
Because, like Citricidal, tap water has a long-time proven safety record and brings a great deal of benefits to those who make use of it, we have no reason to scaremonger over the chemicals it contains – and certainly no reason to request that it be banned.
In summary, your article is unfounded and alarmist. It’s akin to calling for the production of bananas to be banned because they don’t have stickers on them saying they aren’t natural and because they’re radioactive (the most popular banana cultivar today came into existence in 1836 only after centuries of human cultivation, and bananas are more radioactive than most fruits due to their high potassium content, and thus content of the radioactive isotope Potassium-40).
I post this in the hopes that people who could benefit from using the product are not put off doing so by your article. Again, no health risk has been established here, and the evidence shows quite clearly that taking the product does not pose any risks to your health as long as you comply with the guidelines included with it. Regrettably, some people will be put off. This link shows how easily people can be swayed by unfounded, alarmist petitions such as this one: https://www.math.psu.edu/tseng/H2Ojoke.html
The title of this article is not misguided tad or otherwise. Citricidal and grapefruit seed extract products do contain a toxic chemical. That has been proved. It is not advised to ingest it. It has been decided that the chemical in such small doses is OK to apply topically to the skin or in the mouth – not to ingest it. Up to the consumer if they want the chemical on the skin or in the mouth.
This article has highlighted the concerns and made everyone aware that Citricidal is not a natural antibiotic but a toxic chemical that kills fauna and flora around the factory where it is made.
You make a moot point when you say: The truth is that just about everything is toxic, be it natural or otherwise. Some natural things are toxic: deadly nightshade for example so we don’t eat those things and take a wide birth or they are used in medication with a prescription to control the dosage. It is extremely bad for the body to continually kill the supposed bad bacteria as it kills the good as well and this will continually upset the gut and be the cause of further illness.
You don’t mind taking this chemical when it kills the fauna and flora around the factory where it is manufactured? And don’t get me started on our water! Yes it is horrible! Which is why so many discerning people including me purchase mineral or spring water!!
Frankly “Marianne” I think you’re a little “off”. Mr. Southam is CORRECT and YOU – well YOU ARE NOT.
Crude oil is natural and will kill you if ingested. It also kills of flora and fauna if applied to them.
Better you get off THIS high horse and get onto a worse offender – greek yoghurt with it’s highly toxic whey by-product. If this crap gets into the waterways and the ocean it will kill of aquatic life. Without aquatic life the ocean dies and when the ocean dies so will we since it’s the biggest producer of oxygen on the planet.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/28/waste-from-greek-yogurt-can-be-toxic/
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/23/greek_yogurt_toxic_waste_hazard_partner/
You could choose that banner to go under.
Or keep sounding like a disgruntled employee attempting to make mountains out of anthills.
I wouldn’t care if Citricidal was made of arsenic, I would still take it. Nothing else has made me feel better after 20 years of trying things and my diet has always been perfect with NO sugar or other junk and mainly fruits and vegetables. If it shortens my life, so be it. At least I will feel better while I am alive. Also, have you seen this analysis of colloidal silver? http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061
It looks like Denmark might not be far behind on banning colloidal silver :
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/258526957_Oral_toxicity_of_silver_ions_silver_nanoparticles_and_colloidal_silver_-_a_review
Hi Ruth,
Thank you for your comment and good for you!
At least you know what you are taking and are not taken in by it being ‘natural’.
Denmark banned Citricidal too.
Thank you for the link to the Mayo clinic and yes there is a concern that the nano-particles of silver may do damage to the tissues but as yet there is no supporting science to demonstrate this. Silver was used in the pioneering days of America to cure ailments by putting a silver dollar in the glass of milk for an hour and then drinking the milk. I have used a silver or gold ring to rub on to a sty and the sty is healed. Silver does appear to kill or inhibit bacteria, virus and fungi. But the concern with it is I believe the teeny (nano) particles. I found the Mayo article a bit contradictory – one minute mentioning the importance of scientific evaluation and that there is no science to support the claims that colloidal silver can kill infections (but equally there is no scientific evidence that it does not) and then using words such as it is not clear, rarely, possibly and may which are not scientific.
Once again thank you for your comment.
Antibiotics whatever they are made from are extremely bad for the body and because of the overuse of them we have a real killer of a disease MRSA.
So nothing is absolutely perfect and one should not be using an antibiotic product all the time.
I was just so incensed that ‘they’ were passing citricidal and grapefruit seed extract off as natural when it isn’t.
Have you considered that your symptoms that appear to be helped by grapefruit seed extract may be food intolerance, allergies or allergy to additives for example sulphites?
Someone I know loved citricidal because it made them feel so much better until I told them what was in it, now they are feeling so much better because they have changed their diet. They have taken out additives and put in bone broths.
Hi Marianne,
I just wanted to point out that you should always be skeptical about information and studies presented by the Cdc and Fda! They are very highly influenced by Big Pharma, and it is also Big Pharma itself who fund all of this research, and hence always come up with results that discredit anything natural!!!
If you want to understand Big Pharma’s motive, it is simple: if it is something “natural,” then they can’t patent it and thus cannot make any money out of it. So it is in their best financial interest to discredit any natural product out there through any means necessary, ESPECIALLY if it is Very Effective in treating chronic illness.
If you want to understand Big Pharma better, here is a documentary with REAL life events in the past in the United States of how Big Pharma managed to ban many natural cancer treatments that were proven to be quite effective. The number one rule of the Corporate World is that profits are their number one priority, it is even more important than the well-being of humanity.
Here is the video documentary in Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km2cqQNFtEs
I use Citricidal as a gargle for a sore throat. I relly on my voice for my work, and don’t want to take antibiotics every time I get a throat infection. I use it with caution, and I find it very effective.
There is a long history of Pharmaceutical giants and the scientists who fund them trying to ban products such as Citricidal. I for one do not trust their motives. These companies exist to make money and have a vested interest in people using their products – and not those of rival companies. I also use homeopathy – which I find incredibly effective. Doubtless you and your ilk would like to see this banned too? Why not concentrate on banning the really dangerous drugs – like tobacco, alcohol and refined sugar? These really are killers – and they’re use is widespread. Meanwhile, leave those of us who are genuinely interested in our own health to look after ourseleves and stop patronising us. If you don’t want to take Citricidal, fine. That doesn’t give you the right to ban it!
Hi Tim
You are absolutely right and I couldn’t agree more with everything you say apart from your delivery of it.
I am not the enemy.
The active ‘ingredient’ of Citricidal is the chemical they use to break down the pulp in the grapefruit seeds. This has been proven because grapefruit seed pulp without being washed with the chemical has no anti-microbial properties. This chemical – benzalkonium chloride, Big Pharma and the Pharmaceutical giants use in its droves in many of their drugs and medicines. You are supporting Big Pharma and the Pharmaceutical Giants when you purchase Citricidal – they are using the natural health industry by stealth.
I was so incensed when I first wrote the article because I had been using what I assumed was a natural product until I found out about the chemical that is used. I had bought it as a natural product from a Health company I trusted very highly. I felt totally let down.
I wanted to let the world know that this ‘natural’ product they were using is not natural, natural should not be banned this chemical product should.
You obviously prefer healthy and natural I assume because you use homeopathy and see tobacco, alcohol and refined sugar as unhealthy. So why on earth are you using Citricidal?
I understand about keeping your voice in good health so neck and shoulder massages, particular stretches and throat stretches will help plus a 5 ml teaspoon of colloidal silver as a gargle or a dilution of sea-salt in water as a gargle would help.
Silver boosts the immune system and used to be in the soil and so in the plants but like many minerals isn’t now.
To find out more about colloidal silver and to buy see this website: UK Colloidal Silver
No I do not have any interest in this business – my raison d’etre is Helping people to help themselves to natural living as God intended.
With very kind regards and thank you for your comment.
Marianne
This article is rubbish and ignores how many lives have been transformed by GSE!
We have used it for everything from the common cold/flu to debilitating Acute Diverticulitis (AD)! We are firm believers in this product as the AD didn’t respond to pharmaceutical drugs and the GSE cleared it in just two weeks! We couldn’t believe it and consider it much, much more effective than colloidal silver, which is also great but not as good as GSE! Denmark has made a grave mistake by banning GSE and it will be to the detriment of its own people!
I was going to trash this comment but then thought my response may help some people to better health. Why do people comment on articles without reading the whole thing? I know GSFE works! (by the way as I have said so many times before GSE stands for grapeSEED extract. A totally different product) GSFE works because it contains a nasty chemical that is killing the bees. Your use of it is killing the bees. No wonder Denmark banned it! Here is a cure for acute diverticulitis: https://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/diverticular.html
Ummm that website you have linked has nothing new. We had tried all those suggestions for many months. Even colloidal silver didn’t clear it. It was the GSE that finally cleared up the acute diverticulitis! You’re just talking from theory, not real life experience! Are you telling me that GSE is more dangerous than taking pharma drugs (which don’t work anyway!) ?? The GSE was a god-send and it works brilliantly! There are so many more chemicals and products destroying everything on the planet and you’re concerned about GSE, which has shown to make so many lives better? Come on, get with the reality!
I am truly sorry you have this condition. The point of my argument is that the pulp of the Grapefruit Seed Extract is not the ‘stuff’ that is doing the curing. The ‘stuff’ that is doing the curing is a chemical. It is not curing your condition either, it is simply addressing one of the symptoms. The problem with the chemical is that it kills fauna and flora where it is made and in the environment where it eventually ends up. If we continue to put up with this type of product seemingly natural when it isn’t – the environment including our own bodies are going to suffer more. Also some people are allergic to the chemical and it can cause asthma sufferers worsening symptoms – if they don’t realise it is the chemical causing the problem then they could be endangering themselves. Also by using what you feel is natural, it is still an antibiotic that kills good bacteria, therefore you may be causing yourself future ill-health problems. Yes I am saying that Grapefruit Seed Extract can cause other symptoms in the same way Pharmaceutical drugs can but at least they are being monitored or should be monitored by a health professional ie GP and so some measure of control is in place. Lifestyle changes need to be made to effect better health. If you were a client of mine I would suggest you had intolerance checks and see a Nutritionist to check every item of food and drink that you consume, and your check stress levels and mineral status to see why you continually get flare ups of the diverticuli.
This is a very interesting topic. The method of production is listed on the Citricidal website:
GSE Production
1. Grapefruit pulp and seeds (the by-product of expeller-extracted grapefruit juice) is
dried and ground into a fine powder.
2. The grapefruit powder is dissolved in purified water and distilled to remove
the fibre and pectin.
3. This distilled slurry is spray dried at low temperatures forming a concentrated
grapefruit bioflavonoid powder.
4. This concentrated powder is dissolved in vegetable glycerine and heated.
5. Food grade Ammonium Chloride and Ascorbic Acid are added, and this mixture is
heated under pressure.
6. This material undergoes catalytic conversion using natural catalysts (including
hydrochloric acid and natural enzymes.).
7. This slurry is cooled, filtered and treated with ultraviolet light.
As you can see from the above description, Citricidal cannot be considered a natural product. It stops being natural at step 5 or 6. Chemical changes happen at step 6 and possibly step 5.
THIS IS A SEMI-SYNTHETIC PRODUCT by the company’s own admission.
I am not calling into question the efficacy of safety of this product. However, I am requesting that no future posts label Citricidal as natural. If you still consider Citricidal natural after reading this, then you have a deranged understanding of the word “natural” and your understanding of all other words must be suspect.
It is semi-synthetic only due to the fact that it undergoes catalytic conversion but this is also done with natural catalysts so it’s a natural product, undergoing conversion using another natural product. So many products undergo processing and are still natural for all intents and purposes. Why is GSE being singled out as not being natural?!
In an interview where someone interviews the manager of Citricidal. The manager admits that the product is synthetic.
http://www.naturalingredient.org/GSE_Interview.html
GSE is misleading. Reading the bottle would leave one to believe that it was simply an ethanolic extract evaporated and mixed with glycerin. Do you feel mislead?
I am not questioning the safety or efficacy of this product.
Grapefruit seed extract cured my son -in -law of deadly MRSA in only one week after intravenous antibiotics failed to work. He was hospitalized with doctors and nurses wearing masks when entering his room. Large sign on his room door said “DO NOT ENTER.” Doctors asked him if he knew any reason he was not responding to antibiotics. At that point my daughter gave him the grapefruit seed extract, containing Citricidal, in capsule form two capsules three times a day. I personally have been using it for 30 years and wouldn’t be without it. It is important, however, to us the extract containing Citricidal. The new stuff by Nutribiotics does not work. Their formula was changed a few years ago. They still offer Citricidal, but make certain you don’t buy the new formula.
Dear Michael that is such good news about your son. I have always maintained that grapefruit seed extract and the brand citricidal works. There is no doubt about that. What I do not like about it is that it is called a natural product when it is far from natural. The only reason it works is the chemical it contains, that kills fauna and flora around the factories where it is made.