This vibrantly colored citrus fruit is the perfect mix of sweet and tart. It is not just a pretty face though, grapefruit provides an impressive amount of vitamin C and has antioxidant properties that keep your body strong and healthy. The zesty fruit has even been shown to lower cholesterol levels and help maintain heart health.
1. Health Benefits of Grapefruit
1. Eating grapefruit may help fight atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is also called 'hardening of the arteries'.
Atherosclerosis is pretty much a given in industrialized countries. It is the cause of all strokes and heart attacks.
It is caused by deposits of cholesterol and plaque along artery walls.
When there is too much cholesterol in the blood stream, the cholesterol, which is sticky, can cling to artery walls more easily. Other cholesterol then gets stuck to the first and a patch of cholesterol begins to build. As free radicals flow by, some of the strike cholesterol, causing to cholesterol to change into plaque.
Cholesterol and plaque can both work their way into artery walls, causing the walls to become stiffer.
It can lead to heart disease and stroke.
These buildups can stop the flow of blood to both the heart and the brain. Tissue deprived of blood dies. In the case of the heart, this is a heart attack. When it happens in the brain, it's a stroke.
Grapefruit pectin helps to reduce deposits in the arteries.
Pectin from grapefruit helps to break up these deposits and helps to keep artery walls free from cholesterol so that deposits can't form.
Vitamin C helps strengthen arteries.
In addition, the vitamin C in grapefruit helps artery walls to build strong cells and defenses, making them more resistant to cholesterol and plaque buildups.
EAT SMARTER TAKE AWAY: Eat grapefruit to help reduce your risks of developing hardened arteries.
2. Disadvantages of Grapefruits
1. Large quantities of grapefruit juice may raise risk of cancer.
Studies have found that for menopausal women, grapefruit juice can be bad.
Menopausal women who drink at least a liter (a quart) of grapefruit juice every day increase their risk of developing breast cancer by up to 30%.
Breast cancer can disfigure you.
If the cancer cannot be killed through treatment, then the only other option is to remove the breast.
It can also kill you.
If the cancer spreads, there may be no cure and you will eventually die.
EAT SMARTER TAKE AWAY: If you have menopause, avoid drinking large quantities of grapefruit juice.
3. Top 100 Grapefruit Recipes
4. Grapefruit Recipes in Video
Grapefruit is a great way to start your day, and it is not just because of it’s vibrant flavor. The bright citrus fruit provides an impressive number of health benefits that make it a great choice to make a part of your day.
5. About Grapefruits
Where does grapefruit grow?
Grapefruit is a subtropical tree that typically grows in the islands off of the coast of Florida, up into Florida, South Texas, Southern California, down through Mexico and Central America to Northern Brazil.
What's the coldest temperature grapefruit can tolerate?
They can tolerate cold down to the mid 20o F range before their large branches become damaged.
How hot is too hot for grapefruit?
Grapefruit prefers temperatures in the 90o F range. If temperatures get too hot, water must be added to the soil to prevent the fruit from splitting.
How tall does a grapefruit tree grow?
These trees can grow to be about 25 feet tall.
How many years does it take for a grapefruit tree to produce?
It varies by variety, but they usually take at least five years of growth before they are ready to produce fruit.
Can grapefruit trees grow in greenhouses?
Yes. Grapefruit trees can grow in greenhouses. You can even grow them in a pot in front of a window in your house.
6. Grapefruit vs. Oranges
Before comparing grapefruit with oranges, it’s important to point out that not all grapefruit is equal when it comes to nutrients. Not surprisingly, ruby red grapefruit has higher amounts of antioxidants and other phytochemicals--including lycopene, the compound that gives the citrus its hue--than white or pink grapefruit, as well as oranges, which still have an impressive amount of carotenoids. One-half of a ruby red grapefruit provides four times the amount of vitamin A as a medium orange, too (24 percent vs. 6 percent of the RDA, respectively). But oranges still reign as the top citrus for vitamin C, providing about one-third more than grapefruit; oranges also have double the amount of dietary fiber. Both citrus fruits have been shown to have positive effects on arthritis, asthma and diabetes, and they serve as excellent low-calorie, nutrient-rich snacks.
7. History of Grapefruit
The only 'American' citrus fruit.
The grapefruit is the only citrus fruit that did not originate in Southeastern Asia.
The 'forbidden fruit of Barbados'.
In 1750, Griffith Hughes, described the grapefruit upon a visit to Barbados, where he called it the 'Forbidden Fruit'. Barbados is the eastern most island in the West Indies and is located in the Caribbean.
Grapefruit in Jamaica.
The grapefruit is written in about in 1824 in Jamaica by DeTussac, who calls it the 'forbidden fruit or smaller shaddock'. He says that it is about the size of orange that is borne in bunches.
Growing grapefruit in the West Indies.
Grapefruit grows wild on several island in the West Indies, where it still grows today.
8. Q/A About Grapefruit
How long should I wait after eating grapefruit before I take my medication?
If you are taking medication that has a warning about grapefruit, you should not eat the grapefruit at all while you are on the medicine as the interference from the grapefruit can linger for days.
Why are grapefruit called 'grapefruit'?
They were originally called that because they group in bunches, giving them a grape-like appearance.
Does the 'grapefruit diet' really work?
No. There is no medical evidence that this diet works.
What are the dangers of the 'grapefruit diet'?
This diet encourages you to eat a lot of unhealthy food to excess. It also tells you to stuff yourself.
How big is the largest grapefruit?
The largest grapefruit was grown by Brazilian Cloy Dias Dutra in 2006. It was 2 feet 3 inches in circumference and weight 7 pounds 1 ounce.
Why are some grapefruit bitter and others sweet?
The flavor of a grapefruit depends on a number of factors, including variety, how much cold the fruit endured, and how ripe it was when it was harvested.
9. Nutritional Information
This is the nutritional information for one small grapefruit (14.1 oz).
|Calories from fat 2g|
|Total Fat 0.2g||<1%|
|Saturated Fat <0.1g||<1%|
|Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0g|
|Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g|
|Total Carbs 16.2g||5%|
|Dietary Fiber 2.2g||9%|
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