Urinary Tract Infection Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Urinary Tract Infection, including details on uti, causes, prevention, diet, treatment.

The effectiveness of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) seeds in treating urinary tract infections.

Oyelami OA, Agbakwuru EA, Adeyemi LA, Adedeji GB

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. tinaude_ogunlesi@yahoo.co.uk

Three middle-aged males and one female were diagnosed as having urinary tract infections (UTIs) between 2001 and 2003 in the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, a unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Of the 4 patients, only the female was asymptomatic. The 3 males had Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, in their urine samples, while the female had Escherichia coli. All 4 patients were treated with grapefruit seeds (Citrus paradisi) orally for 2 weeks and they all responded satisfactorily to the treatment except the man with P. aeruginosa isolate. However, the initial profuse growth of Pseudomonas isolate in the patient that was resistant to gentamicin, tarivid, and augmentin later subsided to mild growth with reversal of the antibiotic resistance pattern after 2 weeks' treatment with grapefruit seeds. These preliminary data thus suggest an antibacterial characteristic of dried or fresh grapefruit seeds (C. paradisi) when taken at a dosage of 5 to 6 seeds every 8 hours, that is comparable to that of proven antibacterial drugs.

Published 3 May 2005 in J Altern Complement Med, 11(2): 369-71.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Urinary Tract Infection Research Today. All Rights Reserved.