What is Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)?

 

Excerpt from ‘The Holistic Parrot, by Leslie Moran, May 2013,

issue # 184, Parrots magazine. This is part one of a two part series.

 

On the internet, there seems to be a good deal of confusion about the safety of using GSE, and much has been written about it, so the purpose of this article is to help establish the facts.

 

Healthcare Monopoly 

According to a 2009 report in CNN Money, the pharmaceutical industry is the second largest most profitable industry in the world.  It’s also known that the revenue from the entire natural and holistic healthcare market falls way below the quoted statistics of the pharmaceutical industry, yet a few strategically written papers published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Institute of Pharmacy in Germany and the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology have gone to great lengths to discredit the effectiveness and safety of GSE.

 

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Direct From Nature

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural, non-toxic compound made from the seed and pulp of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) – not to be confused with grape seed extract, which is a powerful antioxidant found in the seeds of the white grape (Vitis vinifera).

 

 

 

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Published Results

According to Allan Sachs, DC, CCN, in his book, “The Authoritative Guide to Grapefruit Seed Extract”, GSE has the ability to work against a wide range of organisms, and hundreds of laboratory tests have shown how powerful and effective it is against dangerous germs, even when highly diluted.  A partial list of these labs, as listed in Dr Sachs book appear on this website at GSE, Over 80 Labs Find it Safe and Effective.

 

GSE is derived from natural plant materials. It is hypo-allergenic, and rarely produces any type of allergic reaction.  GSE is biodegradable and compatible with other natural remedies.  It is affordable and economical, costing only pennies per day when compared to highly expensive prescription drugs and medications.

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These facts may help explain why the pharmaceutical industry recognizes the potential threat to their global monopoly on neutralizing pathogens.

 

This article, as it appears in Parrots magazine, also looks at the many uses for GSE, giving the exact ratio of the liquid concentrate to water, since it must always be diluted before use.

 

Great for Cleaning

Although we’re still learning about the use of GSE in the care of birds, we know that it is effective in cleaning cages, enclosures and perches, and for disinfecting bird toys obtained at bird marts.  It can also be used to sterilize the hands before touching parrot babies or hand-feeding them, for disinfecting surfaces, equipment and utensils in the nursery, brooders and incubators, and in the final rinse when laundering the cloth bedding for newly-hatched chicks.  For healing, Leslie prepares personalized individual formulas for healing aspergillosis, candida, and reoccurring bacterial infections in parrots.

 

In the home, it’s a good all purpose household cleaner for use on a number of surfaces, and effective in cleaning fruits, vegetables, meat or poultry when added to a sink of cold water.  GSE can be used for purifying water in the sauna, whirlpool and swimming pool, and has supplemented mass water purification efforts in third world countries.

 

A Holistic Healthcare Product

In human holistic healthcare GSE has been used successfully as an antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-parasitic for conditions such as mouth ulcers, cold sores (herpes simplex), gingivitis, cold, flu, sinus infections, strep throat, candida and allergies. Leslie has been using it for her own natural healthcare needs for decades.

 

Next month, in Leslie’s  ‘The Holistic Parrot’ column, in the June 2013 issue of Parrots magazine, she’ll look into those published papers who seek to discredit the safety and effectiveness of GSE. She’ll explain what’s going on regarding the accusations that harmful chemicals are added to GSE during the manufacturing process.

 

 

This article originally appeared in the May 2013, issue 184, of Parrots magazine.

For a full copy of this article go to www.parrotmag.com   .

Parrots is now available in digital form or a classic hard copy.

 

 

 

We hope this article helped shed some light on the ‘on-line’ GSE controversy. Tell us your thoughts and questions about using GSE with your birds.

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