7 useful properties of grapefruit
Table of Contents:
Grapefruit: 7 useful properties for your health.
The useful properties of grapefruit have been known for a long time. Many of its useful properties have been scientifically proven. It is most often mentioned in the dietary diet, as it promotes weight loss by accelerating metabolism. Grapefruit is also an excellent anithoxidant. Pink and red varieties contain carotenoids - lycopene and beta-carotene, which are effective in combating various diseases.
A source of vitamin C, fiber, minerals and antioxidants, grapefruit is a product worth paying attention to.
Grapefruit is believed to improve the health of the skin and blood vessels. It has many important trace elements for health. But grapefruit also has contraindications.
In this article, we will find out who should not abuse it and when it can be useful.
Used in the form of slightly chilled juice, grapefruit offers a healthy energy charge - a great way to start the day!
What you need to know about grapefruit?
Grapefruit was bred on the Caribbean island of Barbados, where it was discovered as a product of accidental crossing of two species, sweet orange and pomelo. Depending on the variety, it can be of different sizes, and the pulp may differ in color - from bright red to pale yellow. It got its name because grapefruits look like bunches of grapes during ripening. This is a citrus fruit, also called a "forbidden fruit." Grapefruit has gained wide popularity thanks to its exports by Spanish sailors. Impressed by its refreshing, sweet taste, farmers in the U.S. state of Florida initiated controlled cultivation of this exotic fruit. Today, grapefruit is grown in almost all subtropical regions of the world, although the largest number is in plantations in Florida, California and Texas.
Grapefruits grow among the thick foliage of an evergreen tree from the family of Rute plants (lat. Rutaceous), which often grows up to 15 meters in height. Trees are especially attractive in color when their shining white flowers radiate a pleasant sweet aroma.
Fresh, tart, sweet and sour - grapefruits offer a wide range of flavors, which makes them popular ingredients in light fruit salads, fruit juices and other fruit drinks. Grapefruit can be eaten with a spoon directly from the peel, and its delicate, tart taste is especially refreshing in the hot season. Used in the form of slightly chilled juice, grapefruit offers a healthy energy charge - a great way to start the day!
Its useful properties are used in cosmetology, and an extract is prepared from seeds, pulp and white veins. It can be found in food additives, household chemicals, perfumes and aromatherapy.
Calorie content and nutritional value of grapefruit.
Grapefruit contains vitamins A, E, K and C, folic acid (B9, B11), niacin (called vitamin B3 or PP), thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), fiber, choline (B4), lemonines. This citrus also contains macro and microelements. The amount of nutrients in grapefruit is impressive. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 g of grapefruit contains:
42 kilocalories;
0.8 g of proteins;
0.1 g of fat;
10.7 g of carbohydrates;
1.6 g of dietary fiber;
22 mg of calcium;
9 mg of magnesium;
18 mg of phosphorus;
0.1 mg of iron;
135 mg of potassium;
31.2 mg of vitamin C(50% of the recommended daily allowance);
1150 vitamin A.
Grapefruit contains a lot of vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium, pectin. The grapefruit crust, which reaches 30-40% of the fruit weight, also contains pectin substances, esters, glycosides. The main ingredient of grapefruit fruit is water, which is 90% of the fruit weight.
Grapefruit is a very "vitamin" fruit: it contains vitamins A, PP, C, D and B vitamins, as well as minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and others. The pulp contains fiber, and the peel contains essential oils.
Grapefruit helps to normalize weight.
Grapefruit has a lot of fiber, which helps to normalize weight: it prolongs the feeling of satiety, and due to this consumes less calories.
One study, which involved 91 obese people, showed that those who ate half of fresh grapefruit before eating lost significantly more weight than those who did not. The band members who ate fresh grapefruits reduced weight by an average of 1.6 kg in 12 weeks. Those who did not eat fruit lost about 0.3 kg.
Other experiments(“Effects of grapefruit, grapefruit juice and water preloads on energy balance, weight loss, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk in free-living obese adults“) have found similar weight loss effects. For example, participants' waist size decreased when they ate grapefruit with other products every day. This does not mean that the fetus itself will lead to weight loss, but can contribute to this process if you add it to a balanced diet.
2. Grapefruit can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The use of grapefruit can help control insulin levels and thus reduce the likelihood of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
In one study(“The effects of grapefruit on weight and insulin resistance: relationship to the metabolic syndrome“), the subjects who ate half of the fresh grapefruit before eating significantly decreased the level of insulin and resistance to it.
Grapefruit has a low glycemic index. This means that it provides the body with nutrients, but does not have a negative impact on sugar levels.
The authors of one experiment note that grapefruit contains nyringin. In terms of properties, it is similar to the inhibitor that doctors use to improve glucose tolerance in people with type 2 diabetes.
Grapefruit contains antioxidants such as nergenin. They improve insulin sensitivity, helping to maintain a healthy weight. Naringenin, according to scientific research, stimulates the liver to "burn" fat. Grapefruit helps to reduce insulin levels as effectively as the antidiabetic agent metformin.
Grapefruit essential oil, which has a bitter-cold aroma, improves mood, helps to overcome indecision and apathy, focus attention, improves the susceptibility of information (which is very useful for students).
3. Grapefruit Reduces the risk of strokes.
Thanks to antioxidants and calcium, grapefruit helps to maintain vascular dilatation, regulates blood sugar levels, stimulates weight loss. Since the fruit reduces LDL and triglycerides, it is useful for both blood vessels and heart (prevention of atherosclerosis and heart disease).
Flavonoids are plant compounds, natural dyes that are found in fruits, vegetables, berries. According to a study by the American Heart Association (AHA), the use of more flavonoids can reduce the risk of coronary stroke among women. The risk of this disease was 19% lower among those who had the largest number of citrus fruits in their diet.
Grapefruit is also useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases - it is enough to eat one fruit a day, and together with bitter membranes (they contain useful pectin). Glycosides and vitamins contained in grapefruit help to reduce blood pressure (including during menopause, both women and men) and prevent atherosclerosis.
4. Grapefruit Increases immunity.
Due to the significant content of vitamin C and other antioxidants, grapefruit helps the immune system fight infections. It reduces the risk of kidney and liver stones, is effective for the prevention of hepatitis C virus. Laboratory tests show that aryngenin is able to stop the spread of hepatitis C virus by 80%. Several studies(“Immune-enhancing role of vitamin C and zinc and effect on clinical conditions“) have shown that vitamin C helps people recover faster from colds.
Other vitamins and minerals contained in grapefruit also help maintain immunity, including vitamin A(“Vitamin A, immunity, and infection“). It can reduce inflammation and the risk of infections.
Grapefruit also contains a small amount of B vitamins, zinc(“Zinc and the immune system“), copper and iron, which help the immune system, support the integrity of the skin, which acts as a protective barrier against infection.
Grapefruit Increases immunity.Half of medium-sized grapefruit provides 59% of the daily need for vitamin C.
5. Grapefruit gets rid of "bad" cholesterol.
Grapefruit contains pectin, which allows you to remove cholesterol from the body. A study conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem showed that the use of only one red grapefruit daily for 30 days reduces LDL (low density lipoproteins) by 20.3% and triglycerides by 17.2%. Eating the same doses of yellow grapefruit reduces LDL by 10.7% and triglycerides by 5.6%.
6. Grapefruit contains a lot of antioxidants.
Grapefruit contains several antioxidants(“Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health“) - they protect cells from damage caused by free radicals that can trigger unwanted processes in the body.
Vitamin C. It is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant that protects cells from damage that leads to heart disease and cancer.
Beta-carotene. In the body, it turns into vitamin A, helping to reduce the risk of heart disorders, cancer and eye diseases, such as yellow spot degeneration (maculodystrophy).
Lycopene. Precursor of beta-carotene. This carotenoid is known for its potential ability to prevent the development of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. It is also good for the heart, slows down the growth of tumors and reduces the side effects of radiotherapy.
Flavanoids. Their anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Grapefruit can be used to make not only juice. It perfectly complements other products in dishes, adding pleasant sourness and bitterness to them. Grapefruit is used to make candied fruits, jam, jam, jelly, liqueurs, fruit salads and sauces that perfectly complement the taste of meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
7. Grapefruit can reduce the risk of kidney stones.
The use of grapefruit can reduce the risk of kidney stones that arise from the accumulation of wastes that are metabolic products. Usually they are filtered through the kidneys and removed from the body with urine, but during crystallization in the kidneys they turn into stones. Large stones can cause clogging of the urinary system, which is incredibly painful. The most common type of kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones. Citric acid contained in grapefruit can effectively prevent the formation of stones. It binds to calcium in the kidneys and removes it from the body [1]. Citric acid also has the ability to increase the volume and pH of urine, creating an environment less favorable for the formation of kidney stones [2].
Grapefruit - interesting facts.
Grapefruit is sometimes added to green tea, which accelerates fat burning, prevents obesity and improves insulin sensitivity.
Grapefruit oil is used in confectionery, as well as in the production of cosmetic products and alternative medicine.
Grapefruit seed extract destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Sweetening grapefruit with honey or sugar disrupts the acid-base balance and causes fermentation.
Grapefruit juices and fruits should be consumed as fresh, raw products, because various methods of pasteurization, especially juice concentration, destroy the value of organic substances.
Grapefruits contain tryptophan, an amino acid that participates in the production of melanin known as "reet sleep hormone". The digestive system will work more effectively before bedtime due to metabolism and accelerated fat burning process. You can eat fruit an hour before bedtime.
Grapefruits contain more vitamin A than oranges.
Flavonoids in grapefruit can react with some drugs. Due to the risk of drug interaction and fresh citrus fruits, they should not be combined.
Grapefruits can be stored outside the refrigerator at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Types of grapefruit and features.
There are about 20 species of grapefruit, which are grown in the USA, Israel, Mexico, China, etc. Let's consider 4 main varieties of grapefruit:
Red grapefruits are the sweetest due to the fact that they contain the most fruit sugar. The most famous variety of red grapefruit is "rubin", grapefruits of this group contain more substances that reduce cholesterol than yellow varieties.
Pink grapefruits - not as sweet as fruits with red pulp, contain less sugar. A bright representative is a "flame" variety.
Yellow grapefruits - the pulp has a sweet and sour taste with obvious bitterness and, therefore, has a beneficial effect on the elasticity of blood vessels and heart function. These include the "march" variety.
White grapefruits are not too sweet, they have more bitterness than other species, with pronounced sourness. They are used in the diet of a person who wants to lose weight, as they contain the least sugar. The representative of this group is the "dunkan".
Grapefruit, unlike the rest of the citrus brethren, has bitterness, which is due to the content of flavonoid aryngine. It improves the elasticity of blood vessels, as well as accelerates digestive processes and metabolism. The main difference between grapefruit and other citrus fruits is in the substance inositol, which prevents the accumulation of fats, as well as contributes to the elimination of toxins from the liver. Somewhat inferior in vitamin C to orange."
How to choose and store grapefruit?
To choose delicious grapefruits, focus primarily on its aroma. Fresh fruit is very fragrant, you won't need to sniff.
In addition, its skin should be elastic, without cracks, wrinkles or lethargy. But small scratches or dents do not mean poor quality: grapefruit grow very tightly, rub against the trunk and branches of wood, so this is normal.
Inspect the base of the grapefruit - it should not be dark or stained: this is a sign that the hand has begun to deteriorate.
The heavier the grapefruit, the juicier it is and the thinner its skin.
You can store grapefruit for about 2 days at room temperature and on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for no longer than 10 days. Then they start to dry, and they won't be so tasty anymore.
Since grapefruit has a lot of potassium, people with kidney infection should eat it with caution. In this case, the withdrawal of excess of this element will be limited, and a potassium overdose leads to health problems.
The harm of grapefruit.
Fresh grapefruit juice is certainly useful, but it is not suitable for everyone, especially on an empty stomach, since acids entering an empty stomach irritate the mucous membrane and can cause heartburn, exacerbation of gastritis and pancreatitis. In addition, eating grapefruit in the morning before meals sometimes leads to intestinal relaxation - this is undoubtedly a plus for those who suffer from constipation, but with a tendency to diarrhea, such an effect is not needed.
When taking some medications, grapefruit is generally contraindicated - it can even be life-threatening. After 20 years of research, scientists from Canada came to this conclusion. "Grapefruit turns the medicine into poison," says David Bailey, clinical pharmacologist at the Lawson Health Research Institute. "The effect of 80 drugs is distorted by this fruit, and 43 drugs become deadly" [3].
Usually, when we wash down the pill with water, the active substance enters the blood only partially, and part of the medicine breaks down the enzymes of the stomach, intestines and liver. If you eat a tablet with grapefruit or drink it with juice, the furanocoumarins contained in it, toxins produced by plants, begin to act. They temporarily disrupt the functioning of liver enzymes, and the medicine enters the blood in a larger volume than pharmacologists expected. And this is already an overdose." Just one tablet, soaked with a glass of grapefruit juice, is equal to several tablets filled with a glass of water," explains David Bailey. The list of drugs that grapefruit is so affected by is huge - it's even ordinary remedies for pressure or headache.
Some drugs, on the contrary, act weakly under the influence of grapefruit juice, and the dosage prescribed by doctors decreases. But sometimes human life depends on it. This applies to antitumor, anesthesia, antihistamines, contraceptives, drugs against pressure and arrhythmia, estrogens, immunosuppressants and even Viagra. Therefore, just in case, when taking any medicines, it is better to refuse grapefruit.
Take care of yourself and be healthy!