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A team of Canadian scientists have discovered that naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruit, and especially grapefruit, makes the liver burn fat instead of storing it after a meal. (This chemical compound also gives grapefruit its bitter taste.) Potentially, without having to change diets or cut out particular foods, a dose of naringenin could prevent weight gain and even help to lose it. In the long-term the Canadian team behind the tests believe the compound could help fight diabetes because the process also helped balance insulin and glucose levels. What was unique about the study was that the effects were independent of caloric intake, meaning the mice ate exactly the same amount of food and the same amount of fat. “There was no suppression of appetite or decreased food intake, which are often the basis of strategies to reduce weight gain and its metabolic consequences,” he said.
Diabetes UK