Stomach ulcers can be healed by grapefruit extract, study says

• Stomach ulcers can now be healed effectively and properly by grapefruit extract revealed a study presented at Digestive Disease WeekŪ 2005 (DDW).
• The title of the study is "Role of Lipid Peroxidation, Expression, and Activity of Superoxide Dismutase and Endogenous Prostaglandins in the Acceleration of Ulcer Healing by Grapefruit Seed Extract."
• This effect is due to strong antioxidant properties shown by grapefruit extract.
• While grapefruit is often associated with acidity and GI irritation, GSE actually possesses antibacterial and antioxidative properties that calm the gastric tract.
• Researchers from Jagiellonian University Medical College in Poland examined the beneficial healing effects of GSE on preexisting gastric ulcers.
• The team tested ulcer healing by using a combination of acetic acid (an acid compound used to induce experimental ulcers) with or without a COX-1 inhibitor (indomethacin, 2 mg/kg) and a COX-2 inhibitor (rofecoxib, 10 mg/kg).
• The experiments showed that GSE accelerated healing of ulcers involving COX-1 and COX-2 activity.
• Being acidic in nature people might assume that grapefruit will be harmful to ulcers bu the study proves the exact opposite.