Agrisept-L® Benefits
Grapefruit Seed Extract - A Good Botanical Resource
Any organic gardener or farmer can testify to the outstanding ability of citrus fruit to withstand proper decaying in the compost pile. It can take many months before decaying bacteria and microbes begin to permeate the citrus rind, and up to two years to penetrate the seeds. Even then, some seeds are so resistant they'll actually still sprout.
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is made by concentrating large amounts of the seeds, membranes and pulp into a highly acidic liquid. This liquid is a rich source of polyphenolic compounds such as quercitin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, campherol glycoside, naringin, apigenin, rutinoside, and poncirin. Polyphenols are unstable, however chemical conversion to stable substances, in a diverse class of compounds called quaternary ammonium products (quats), makes them very useful.
Some quats are used industrially as anti-microbials (benzalkonium chloride) but are toxic to animal life. The B Vitamin Choline is a quat that serves the body as a co-enzyme. It is non-toxic and essential for maintaining fat metabolism, healthy nerves, and neurological function.
Quats from GSE have yet to be fully understood, but they appear to feature highly anti-microbial and nontoxic properties. In fact, an acute toxicology study, performed by the prestigious Northview Pacific Laboratories (July 1995), reported that GSE appeared safe at the preposterously high levels of 300,000mg per day. Typical consumption of powders is 1,000mg per day in severe cases.
In the 1970's, bacterial parasites, such as Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba hystolytica, Cryptosporidium, and Blastocystis hominis were of little concern to practitioners and rarely known by the average citizen. Today, over 50 per cent of our domestic water supplies carry unacceptable levels of these disease-carrying bacteria and protozoa. Standard antibiotic treatment for these infestations are proving unsuccessful.
In the U.S., it is estimated that a typical four-year-old child will have ten courses of antibiotics, consisting of two doses per day, for ten days, for a total of 200 doses. The accumulation of an average dose of two courses per year for the next eight or nine years adds up to an additional 320 doses. As adults, additional doses may be added for surgeries, colds, flus, injuries, bites, and dental procedures. This adds up to a possible 1,000 to 1,500 doses of antibiotics by the age of 50!
The problem with excessive antibiotic therapies are multiple. Antibiotics such as Ketoconazole, Diflucan, and Nizarel are potentially so toxic that usage must be monitored for liver damage. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that the use of certain antihistamines taken at the same time may have serious or even fatal consequences.
Medical researchers generally admit that prescription antibiotics are immune system suppressants. Many of us are alive today because of the availability of antibiotic medications. However, overuse has caused the destruction of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and 20 other beneficial bacteria that are essential to our health, digestion and immunity. These probiotics are producers of our natural antibiotics, powerful antifungal enzymes, and are capable of making Vitamin Bs and Cs.
Overuse of antibiotics has also created mutant microbes that are resistant to the newest and most advanced prescription medications. Gonorrhea (Gonococcus neiseria) and tuberculosis are diseases that previously seemed under control but are now reappearing, particularly in large cities.
In September of 1995, the American Medical Association (AMA) finally began to focus on the promiscuous use of antibiotics as a serious health problem not only to those who consumed them, but to everyone because they produce mutant strains of microbes. The most newsworthy of late is the mutant strain of Staphlococcus that has gained notoriety as the "flesh eating bacteria" responsible for several deaths in North America and Europe. This bacteria is so aggressive that death may ensue in a matter of a few days, despite the most powerful medical intervention available.
GSE has been studied at more than 80 laboratories and medical schools. Hundreds of laboratory tests (en vitro—test tubes, petri dishes) have demonstrated GSE kills and inhibits the growth of a wide array of harmful bacteria, fungus, viruses, and protozoan parasites.
Since the early 1970's, eminent companies such as Alpha Chemical and Biomedical Labs, Petaluma CA, Association of Consulting Chemists and Chemical Engineers, BioResearch Labs, Redmond WA, Brigham Young University, Provo UT, Department of Health and Human Services, FDA, Washington DC, and the Department of Food Science, University of Florida, Gainesville FL have proven GSE effective against Brucella abortus, Escherichia (E) coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Clostridium botulinum, Staphlococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus viridans, Candida albicans, Monilla albicans, Campylobacter jejuni, Chlamydia trachomatis, Giardia lamblia, Herpes simplex virus Type 1, Helicobacter pylori, Influenza A2 virus and many more.
In summary, Grapefruit Seed Extract is:
1) A broad spectrum anti-microbial
2) Powerful and effective
3) Non-toxic
4) Minimal negative impact on beneficial bacteria—new research indicates it may be powerfully beneficial to good flora such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
5) Very well researched—used in dozens of cleansers sold throughout the population
6) Derived from natural sources
7) Hypo-allergenic
8) Biodegradable—considering that the newest concern in ground water pollution is the excretion of prescription medications
9) Compatible with other natural remedies—there are over 1,200 remedies containing GSE marketed today
10) Affordable—costs as low as $0.20 per dose to as high as $0.75 per dose
In short, GSE has been shown to be more effective in cleaning food than chlorine bleach or isopropyl alcohol. And, as a anti-microbial, more effective than colloidal silver, chlorine bleach, and isopropyl alcohol and more favorable than many antibiotics.
Utilization of GSE to clean fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, and fish has been proven to extend shelf life and eliminate potentially harmful bacteria. The applications for cleaning doorknobs and food preparation surfaces, baths, showers, or internally in our bodies appears to be a significant and worthwhile investment in ourselves, our pets, and our environment.
Rena Davis, MSc is a Clinical Nutritionist and Biochemist and one of EYI's most popular product consultants and trainers. She operates her own wellness clinic in St. Helens, Oregon, where she has recommended the full range of powerful EYI products to her patients for years. Total Healing is an alternative health care center where Rena, owner/practitioner for over 20 years, provides individualized health care for her clients. Rena is a firm believer in holistic health care and is an ardent student and teacher of the principles of wellness.
