Charred Grapefruit Margaritas

Alcohol is a tricky topic;

pros – we have studies showing that women who drink wine daily have lower BMI’s than those who abstain, plus moderate drinking has been linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

cons – research confirms that drinking more than 7 glasses of alcohol weekly causes significant increases in serum estrogen levels, which can contribute to heavy periods, weight gain, PMS and breakouts. This change in hormone levels occurs because alcohol interferes with your ability to detoxify estrogen and can increase the body’s production of harmful estrogens and other inflammatory compounds.

Unfortunately, it can be surprisingly easy to pass that 7 drink max during the summer (dock drinks!) which is why we whip up a batch of these charred grapefruit margaritas from this doctor’s summer kitchen whenever we’re craving a low sugar drink that won’t mess with our hormones (as much!). This recipe features high quality tequila (made from 100% agave) which contains no sugar, so it won’t spike your blood sugar levels. Tequila also contains probiotics and dietary fiber for potentially positive effects on the gut microbiota. A healthy gut microbiome is important for hormone health since the digestive system helps to detox hormones through the secretion of β-glucuronidase, an enzyme that breaks downs estrogens.

Each serving of this cocktail also contains the juice from a full lime which has been shown to stimulate antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), which helps your liver detox alcohol a bit more efficiently and neutralizes free radicals produced during the detoxification of alcohol.

Finally, we have grapefruit; this super fruit has been shown to positively influence overall estrogen levels by inhibiting key enzymes involved in estrogen metabolism, specifically CYP3A4 and CYP1B1. The inhibition of CYP3A4 is crucial as this enzyme facilitates the production of 16-hydroxyestrone (16-OH), a metabolite often associated with increased breast cancer risk. Elevated levels of 16-OH are linked to estrogen dominance, which can contribute to the development of estrogen-sensitive cancers. Additionally, the natural inhibition CYP1B1 enzymes can lower the levels of 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), another metabolite linked to hormonal cancer risk, as well as endometriosis & fibroids.

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Charred Grapefruit Margaritas

These charred grapefruit margaritas are the perfect summer deck sipper for ladies who are mindful of their liver & hormone health. 

Ingredients

• 2 large grapefruits
• 1 tbs cane sugar
• 2 cups of ice
• 1 cups sparkling water
• Juice from 4 limes
• Salt or tajin – for rimming glasses
• 4oz tequila.
• 1 small j, sliced (optional)

Instructions

Cut your grapefruits in half sprinkle the inside with cane sugar. Place grapefruit onto a hot grill and BBQ over medium high heat for 6 minutes, or until char marks form on the grapefruit. Let your grapefruits cool then squeeze the juice into a pitcher or large cocktail shaker, along with the lime juice, tequila, jalapeño (if using). Rim 4 large margarita glasses with salt or tajin, add 1 oz tequila to each glass, along with ice, top with grapefruit mixture and finish with sparkling water.

If you’re looking to learn more about the complex hormone metabolites touched on above we HIGHLY recommend committing to a DUTCH hormone test – we love teaching patients about their personalized hormone detox pathways, along with ways to optimize hormone health based on this incredible functional data! Email [email protected] or check out our website for more information, this test is often at least partially covered by extended health benefits if ordered through your naturopathic doctor and gives you so so much information about your hormone health; helping you to improve fertility or navigate perimenopause / menopause.