My wife, Edna, and I were attending a preparedness expo in Salt Lake City some years ago, and she felt impressed to get three, 2 oz. bottles of GSE to take on our up-coming mission, which we served ‘97-‘99. The studies on GSE’s effectiveness were very good and some of them had been done at BYU – showing that it was anti-bacterial, etc.

Because we were going to Cote d’Ivoir, West Africa, and all the natives have malaria, we were required to take one of three medications – none of which would prevent it – but were believed to reduce the probability or seriousness. All three had significant side effects. We chose larium. It’s side effects, depression, were the least serious of the three.

After about two months in Africa, we looked at each other, and said, “We don’t need this – learning French, adapting to a new culture, and being away from family were tough enough to deal with. We didn’t need to add depression.

Edna had read that GSE was anti-parasitical, so we deduced that it would work for malaria. We stopped using larium and started using GSE. It is very bitter, as one can well imagine – coming from concentrated grape-fruit seeds. The Nutribiotics brand, which we had, comes in glycerin and is very dense. If you put drops it in glass of water, the drops go right to the bottom of the glass.

We typically used about three to five drops per glass or about 15 drops per liter. If you mix it in orange juice, for example, it is not too bad. Because it kills bacteria, if I every feel a cold coming on or a sore throat. I will just put five drops in a glass, drink the water down until there is about an ounce left. Because it is so dense, the taste of the water on top is okay. Then I swirl the remaining water to mix in the GSE really good. Then I will gargle with that; swallow it, and then follow it immediately with more water to wash down the bitter taste. That way, the bitter taste is short lived.

We were at the president of our Sunday School’s home of the Boeake 1 branch, Cote d’Ivoir. They had a one year old daughter, who they were afraid was going to die because her malaria attack was so serious. Edna always carried the GSE with us in her purse, in case we had to drink water that was not pure, which was almost always the case when we were away from our apartment. She put 15 drops in a liter for them and suggested they give it to their daughter mixed in some orange juice. The next Sunday, they were all out to church, and the little girl was bouncing around like nothing was wrong.

Malaria, among the Ivorians, is near 100%. The old and the young often die. AIDS was also common. The mortality rate in Cote d’Ivoir is about twice the international average. There they brag about their age as they get older. Because we were over 60, they really looked up to us just for that alone – besides being Americans – who they consider to be smart and rich. When you have next to nothing, rich is relative, and so all Americans look rich to them.

Once the members learned of ‘Soeur Allan’s’ magic medicine, they started to come up to her and would say, “Soeur Allan, votre medicament, s’il te plait.” (Please give us some of your medicine, Sister Allan). So we started sharing it extensively with the members. It would not always stop the malaria, but it always helped relieve the seriousness.

Our Mission Mother told us that on any given month 1/3rd of our missionaries were in the hospital. Once we found out its benefits, we started using it extensively with our missionaries as well. We know we gave away more than three bottles; “neither shall the cruse of oil fail.” (1 Kings 17:14) When we left we still had one bottle that was nearly full to leave with the missionaries.

I am so grateful that my sweet wife listened to the Spirit, and that we had that GSE with us. It helped enormously. I see it as an essential ingredient for our medical kits as we go through the purging times ahead in preparing for the Savior’s glorious return. Mostly, I thank the Lord, that He is always there to guide us and help us in our mortal journey – especially as we reach out in love to serve His children, whom He loves more than we know.

Our Experience with Grapefruit Seed Extract

GSE -- A Must in Every Medical Kit

See also