Grapefruit, for me, was an acquired taste. As a girl, the tartness made my face pucker, and I’d push away the half-grapefruit my mother offered for breakfast.
When I grew up, the grapefruit gene kicked in and the juice-filled, spongy fruit became a favorite. Good thing, because grapefruit is a low-cal fruit loaded with health promoting vitamins and minerals including vitamins C, A and E;, calcium and magnesium.
What’s more, pink grapefruit is an antioxidant powerhouse containing lycopene and beta-carotene.
These supercharged nutrients translate into better health for you. Here are some areas where grapefruit is a positive influence.
Weight Loss: At at scant 42 calories per 100 g., grapefruit is a low-cal food loaded with dietary insoluble fiber. A study of the effects of grapefruit on weight and insulin resistance found that eating half of a fresh grapefruit before meals was associated with significant weight loss and improved insulin resistance. Also, some say the smell of grapefruit decreases the appetite.
Cancer: Vitamin C, beta-caroltene and lycopene-rich grapefruit helps prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals.
Heart Health: Eating pink grapefruit can lower cholesterol levels and promote heart health. Researchers have found that adding fresh, red grapefruit to diets lowered serum triglycerides levels and increased antioxidant activity.
Stroke: Eating citrus fruits like grapefruit may lower stroke risk for women. A National Institutes of Health-funded study showed that women who ate high amounts of the flavonoids found in grapefruit and oranges had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who had the least amount of citrus-related flavonoids.
Skin: Eating grapefruit can make your skin look radiant. Antioxidant Vitamin C fights sun damage and promotes collagen formation, which helps prevent wrinkles.
Warning: Eating grapefruit can interfere with certain medications, including statin drugs, calcium channel blockers and some psychotropic medications. The Harvard Medical School Family Healthy Guide has a great chart of which medicines are affected by grapefruit.
