It has been long discussed that fruits is really important for your health. Various fruits give benefits in improving your entire health. One of the most beneficial fruit is grapefruit. Some of you might be familiar with this Caribbean-originated fruit as one of the most famous fragrance ingredient. Grapefruits is the fresh-smelled citrus which grow in clusters, resembling grapes. There are two kinds of grapefruits—the red and the white one. As many other fruits are, grapefruits are low in calories, but loaded with various nutrients. This fruit is also a great antioxidant which is beneficial for your skin health.
What does grapefruit contain?
Grapefruits grows in bunches like grapes, where its name is originated from. Physically, it has an orange-like peel with red or white juicy flesh. This fruit is low in calories and is loaded with dietary fiber which contributes to healthy digestion. This fruit is also loaded with high level of vitamin A and anti-oxidant. Red grapefruits also contain lycopene, which is very important to avoid the effects of free radicals on the skin. It is also important in promoting collagen production which maintains connective tissues elasticity. Besides, grapefruits also contain vitamin B in a form of folates, riboflavin, and thiamin. Grapefruits are also widely consumed because it is believed to be able to lower cholesterol level and thus, helping the risk of catching heart diseases. Combining grapefruits intake with other low-cholesterol and low-calories diets might provide a healthy diet for preserving low cholesterol level.
Does eating grapefruits help lower cholesterol?
Grapefruits is a great fruit with various nutrients which have an important role in our digestive system. Many people have also heard that this special fruit has an ability of lowering cholesterol. Does grapefruits really help lowering cholesterol level? To answer this question, we need to take a glance at what grapefruits contain in common. Besides loaded with high level of vitamin A and vitamin C which function as an important anti-oxidant, grapefruits is also enriched with pectin. This is an important substance which has been researched to reduce blood cholesterol level by decreasing re-absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. This will induce cholesterol digestion, so that our bloodstream is not loaded with high level of unwanted cholesterol called LDL. Regular consumption of grapefruits also raises the good cholesterol—HDL level, which is important and needed by the body for cleaning up the arteries walls instead of clogging them up. It is important to keep your HDL level higher than the LDL to make sure that you have healthy arteries with sufficient strength and elasticity. This will help passing through nutrients and oxygen along the organs and cells, resulting in proper health and digestion. A fresh grapefruit also contains a quite high level of potassium, which has a role of regulating heart rate and blood pressure. Certain compound in grapefruits also lower the risk of developing stroke, especially in women. Grapefruits also have ability to lower the level of lipid or triglycerides in the bloodstream. Low level of triglycerides decrease the risk of arteries thickening and thus, cardiovascular diseases. Potassium inside grapefruits also plays an important role in maintaining cholesterol level. This compound helps to lower blood pressure and sugar level, which promotes healthy arteries.
How often should grapefruits be consumed?
Grapefruits is beneficial for our health and can be consumed in daily basis. This is a very good choice to complete your dietary intakes. A glass of grapefruit juice per day is enough to prevent the risk of having cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol. However, it is important to consume grapefruits with caution, as this fruit might interfere some medicine effects inside your body. Thus, it may cause unwanted side effects as the result of interaction with medications. The most common medications which can be trebled by consumption of grapefruits is cholesterol-lowering medicines containing statins. It may induce the toxic level of the medications. Therefore, it is important not to consume grapefruits along with your consumption of these medicines to avoid stomach bleeding—the ultimate side effect. Besides, grapefruits might also raise the drug concentration inside your bloodstream, which can be harmful for your entire health.